Waking Up - (SwanQueen)
by courtneywoods
Summary: Emma wakes up in the hospital with no memory of her life in Storybrooke with her family. When she sees Regina, though, she suddenly feels a connection between the two of them and feels like she knows her. But how?
1. Chapter One - Regina, Tuesday 2pm

The brunette hesitated for a moment as she glanced down at the name illuminated on her ringing cell phone. As much as she still cringed at the thought of the one-handed pirate, she knew Emma cared about him and needed to see past their differences.

"Hello. Is everything okay?" Regina asked after she pressed the phone to her ear.

"Aye. Sorry for calling you while you're at work, and it took me a while to figure out how to use this device to call someone other than Emma — but I thought you'd want to know… Emma is in the hospital," Hook said through the phone calmly, although Regina immediately sensed the slight panic in his tone.

Regina shot out of her chair and pushed away from her desk. "What? What happened? Is she alright?" Her stilettos clicked against the marble tile in her office as she paced, imagining the worst. Her mind flooded with guilt, imagining how devastated Henry would be if something happened to Emma. She brought her fingernail to her teeth and started biting nervously at the cuticle as she waited for Hook's response.

"Leroy found her Bug totaled on the side of the road and she was unconscious. David called me and asked me to let you and Henry know. I just got to the hospital and she is still not awake, so Dr. Whale is running some tests."

A ping of neglect ran through Regina as she wondered why David or Snow hadn't called her. "Tests? What kind of tests?" She asked, sounding a little more nervous than she should be.

"If I knew, I'd tell you. I'm not too familiar with this world's technology still." His soft laughter echoed through the phone and she furrowed her brow, unsure what part of this situation was so humorous to him.

Regina rolled her eyes at the pirate's inability to adapt to life in the real world, despite all the time that has passed since he first arrived in Storybrooke. She ordered him to stay calm and muttered a quick thank you before hanging up.

Although she told Hook to remain calm, Regina struggled to take her own advice. She let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding and nervously dialed the woman she spent decades trying to destroy.

The sweet, soothing tone of Snow's voice on the other end of the phone made Regina cringe. "Hello, Regina. I was going to call you earlier but I wasn't sure how to break the news and didn't want to worry you or Henry until we knew more."

Regina cringed at the sickening way Snow remained so calm, despite what was happening and her temper flared as she snapped and said, "News? What news? What happened to Emma? Is she okay?" Regina wondered why she felt so sick to her stomach over the thought of something happening to Emma. She brushed it off and concluded that it was because Emma was Henry's birth mother and without her, she'd never have had her son. But perhaps it was due to their growing friendship ever since the time they spent together in Neverland when they put aside their differences and worked together to rescue Henry.

"Whale said she will be okay and should wake up soon, but I figured she'd want to see Henry when she woke up." Snow explained.

Regina sighed, "I'll go pick him up from school and will be right over. And Snow? Thanks for calling. I know Henry will want to be there when she's up." Regina pressed the end button before giving Snow a chance to respond then slipped her phone into her purse before quickly running out the door.

* * *

"Mom? What are you doing here? Emma usually picks me up on Tuesdays. Is something wrong?" Henry asked as soon as he saw his mom outside the school.

"There was an accident. Emma crashed her car, but everything will be okay, sweetie. She isn't awake yet, but we are going to go and see her right now so she can see her little prince when she wakes up." Regina tried her best to remain calm, curling her lips into a soft smile before ruffling her son's hair.

"Mom, I'm 15. I'm not a little prince anymore." Henry rolled his eyes. "But are you sure she's alright?"

"Yes, both Hook and Snow informed me that she's going to be okay and they're just running some tests now and she'll be awake before we know it, so we better hurry!" They jumped into her Mercedes and drove toward the hospital.

* * *

David greeted them at the entrance of the hospital. The ends of his mouth curled up into a small smile as he made eye contact with his grandson, then he gave Regina a firm nod before ushering them to Emma's room.

They pushed through the doors and Henry sprinted up to the bed containing a sleeping Emma as her grabbed ahold of her hand. Regina's heart shattered at the sight but she kept her composure as she smoothed the wrinkles out of her skirt.

"Thanks for coming, Regina. I know she will want you and Henry here when she wakes up," Snow began but was interrupted by the sound of Whale opening the door to the room. David, Snow, Regina, Henry and Hook all glanced at him, impatiently waiting to learn what was going on.

* * *

 _ **A/N: I apologize in advance for the shorter chapters, but they'll get longer as we get deeper into the story. Hope you enjoy!**_


	2. Chapter Two - Regina, Tuesday 3pm

"What do you mean she had a brain hemorrhage? You mean her brain is bleeding?" Hook yelled in Whale's direction as his hands balled up into fists at his sides and his nostrils flared in anger.

Whale simply nodded and quickly assured everyone that the bleeding had stopped but Emma got a concussion from the accident and will need to be monitored closely until she wakes up.

"And just how long will that be?" Regina spat back, impatient for the mother of her son to open her eyes.

Whale shrugged. "It could be a few hours, it could be a few days. It all depends on how fast Emma's body is able to heal from the internal damage. It doesn't help that she crashed into a telephone poll straight on and nobody knows how much time passed before Leroy found her car."

"I just don't understand what could have happened. She must've been distracted or something must have caused her to swerve her car off the road!" Snow began to grow upset and David engulfed her into his embrace.

Regina couldn't tear her eyes away as Hook walked up to Emma's bedside. He grabbed ahold of her hand before whispering, "Please wake up, love. There are lots of people here who need you." Regina's chest grew tighter, with recognition of just how true the pirate's quiet words were.

* * *

 _Friday in the middle of the night:_

Three days came and went and Emma was still lying in the hospital bed with her eyes shut. The entire crew remained by her side in shifts during all hours of the day, eager for the blonde to open her eyes.

The room was quiet aside from the steady beeping coming from the machines hooked up to Emma. Regina's dark eyes wandered around the room, taking in the scene of everyone asleep in chairs, aside from Henry who was curled up sleeping in the small bed next to Emma.

She took this moment of silence as a chance to go grab a drink from the vending machine outside. She slid her chair out slowly, trying to be as silent as possible to prevent waking one of the others and being forced to converse, then made her way to the door. As she reached for the handle, she heard a soft, muffled sound.

"R-Regina?"

Regina darted over to Emma's side. "Emma? Emma? Did you say something?" She sounded much more eager than she'd care to admit and waited again for Emma to make a sound. She reached her hand out and placed it on Emma's shoulder, but quickly pulled it away. After 10 more minutes of staring at the motionless blonde, she realized she must've imagined Emma calling her name.

As she walked into the hall, she couldn't shake the thoughts that were racing through her head. Something didn't feel right. She swore she heard Emma say her name earlier, but she knew it was impossible. As she slipped the dollar into the vending machine, she concluded that she was simply delusional from lack of sleep. She bent down to grab her root beer out of the machine and made her way back to the room, her stilettos clicking against the ceramic floor.

She pushed open the door and saw the room was the same way it had been when she left, with everyone asleep. She couldn't help but let out a short laugh and an eye roll at the sound of Hook snoring.

She plopped back down into her chair, knowing she needed to try and get some sleep. She tilted her head backward until the base of her neck felt the curve of the cold metal chair. She sighed, acknowledging her inability to get comfortable and admitting defeat. She stood quietly and approached her son and Emma on the bed.

Regina reached down and brushed the stray hair out of the blonde's face, tucking it behind her ear then pulled the blanket up over her and Henry to make sure they were warm enough.

She stared down at the sight of Emma and Henry and couldn't help but let the grin escape that was fighting to appear on her face. She leaned down and whispered into Emma's ear, "Please wake up, Emma. Our son needs you." She waited a few moments and when all she heard was the beeping of the machines, she walked outside to get some fresh air and maybe some peace of mind.

As she pushed on the door and the brisk wind hit her face, Regina crinkled her nose and felt a shiver crawl up her spine. She wrapped her arms across her chest to fight the cold on this dark night.


	3. Chapter Three - Emma, Friday 7am

Echoes beeping in a distance startled her and she felt pain pulsing in her head. Slowly, she tried to open her eyes but the light was too bright so she squinted.

As her eyes adjusted to the light, she began to take in her surroundings. She saw the hospital bed, the IV in her arm, the beeping machines and a teenage boy sitting up next to her in the bed and she let out a weak scream that caused her voice to crack.

A woman with short, dark hair approached her with a smile and a glass of water. She reached out to take the water and the teenage boy grabbed her hand and laced his fingers through hers. "It's okay, Emma. You're okay! You're awake!"

Emma shook her head. "Where am I? What's happening? Who are you people?"

Snow grabbed Emma's other hand and smiled. "Honey, you were in a car accident and hurt your head. You need to remain calm."

Emma pulled her hands away from both of them then slowly swallowed the water her body was craving and took a deep breath. "I'm not going to ask again. Where am I and who are you people?"

"Mom, you don't know who we are?" Henry panicked.

"Did you just call me Mom? Kid, I'm not your mom. I don't have a son."

"She doesn't remember us," Henry turned to look at Snow and dropped his head into his hands.

"Emma, sweetie. Let me get the doctor. Just stay here and sip some more water." Snow walked out of the room and Henry slid off the bed and into the chair, staring at his mother.

"You really don't remember us, do you? My name is Henry. I'm your son."

"Listen... Henry?" Emma began, slowly and while applying pressure to her temple. "I had a son a _long_ time ago but I gave him up for adoption and he would be much younger than you are. How old are you anyway?"

"I'm 15. I know why you gave me away. You wanted to give me my best chance. But we found each other and you saved everyone in our town and broke the curse and found your family. That woman wasn't a nurse, she was your mom."

"Woah woah woah, kid. Slow down. First of all, I had a son 10 years ago so you're not him. Second, I don't have parents. I was left on the side of the freeway and put into foster care. I was been tossed around the foster system until I turned 18. Now I live in Boston and _certainly_ don't have a kid."

Henry tried to interrupt and continue explaining as Whale barged in with Snow a few steps behind. Snow already had her phone out to call David and Hook and let them know Emma was awake.

"Emma, you're suffering from some brief memory loss and that's normal for patients in your condition. Your tests are coming up okay and show no signs of long-term damage. You should be fine in a few days, but should remain under close watch of your friends and family."

Emma squeezed her eyes shut at the sound of the word family. She blinked a few times and shifted her gaze around the room, still trying to understand who these people were.

Moments later, Hook pushed through the doors and ran up to Emma before Snow could get a word in. He leaned over and went in for a kiss. "Swan, oh thank god you're alright. You had as all worried, love."

Emma immediately yanked her face away from his and felt her palm sting as it made contact with the side of his face, the sound startling everyone in the room. Hook jumped back, stunned, and rubbed the side of his reddened face.

"Who the hell do you think you are barging in here and trying to kiss me? I don't know who you are but you're lucky I don't have my phone to call the cops for harassment right now!"

Henry giggled and Emma's eyes shot up, tilting her head and squinting her eyes.

"You are the cops, Mom. You're the sheriff of our town!"

Hook glanced over to Snow in confusion and she quickly filled him in on what happened just as David strolled in. This time, Snow was smart enough to let him know what Whale said before letting David approach their daughter.

Henry piped in as he watched the scene unfold in front of him, "Did anyone call my mom?"

Snow wiggled her phone out of her purse and began to dial just as Emma asked with a straight face, "I thought you said I was your mom?" Henry couldn't help but laugh and shake his head, despite how hopeless he was feeling right now.

Before anyone could blink, Regina appeared in a cloud of purple smoke. Emma's eyes grew three sizes as she stared in disbelief. "Okay, now I know I must be dreaming." She groaned and threw her body back against the hospital bed in frustration.

Regina looked over at Emma. "What is she talking about? Emma, how do you feel?" When Emma remained speechless, Regina turned on her heel and repeated her question to Snow who remained calm and let her know what happened.

Henry chimed in with a new idea that sparked his attention. "Mom, can't you do a memory spell and use your magic on her to give her back her lost memories? She doesn't even know who I am... she doesn't know I'm her son!"

Emma sat back up and protested, rubbing her head again. "Kid — kid! Please stop saying you're my son and talking about magic. I already have a headache and just need to wake up from this nightmare."

Regina let out a laugh and everyone turned and glared in her direction. "Sorry, I just thought it was funny that she still calls Henry kid, even with her lost memories. And Henry, I'm so sorry but unfortunately Emma suffered from an injury that wasn't caused by magic so my powers can't help her." Henry's face dropped again after hearing his mom's response.

Regina turned to face Emma, recognizing the confusion in her eyes. She spoke slowly. "Okay, dear, I know this is all overwhelming for you right now but what do you remember?"

For the first time, Emma looked Regina in the eyes and when green met brown, she gasped. "Y-You," Emma stuttered. "Huh-How do I know you?"

Regina's felt like someone was squeezing her too tight and she was fighting for air as she continued to stare into the blonde's eyes. "Emma, you remember me? Tell me, dear. What do you remember. Try to piece it together out loud."

"Uh, I don't remember you. I don't think I do. But you, you just look – familiar." Emma broke their gaze and looked around the room. "But none of this makes any sense. Who are all of you and how did I get here? The last thing I remember is... um," Emma began thinking out loud and rubbing circles over her temple. "I-I think it was my 28th birthday. I blew out my candle after making a wish," Emma paused before sitting up. "And then someone knocked on my door..."

"That was me!" Henry squealed. "But mom... that was five years ago. I was ten and ran away to come find you." Henry continued trying to explain the events of that day and how she brought Emma to Storybrooke to break the Evil Queen's curse and Emma just sat with her jaw dropped and she kept shaking her head in disbelief.

"Okay kid, you really need to stop. If you're a teenager now, doesn't that mean you're too old to believe in magic and fairy tales? You're trying to tell me I'm the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming and that I'm dating Captain Hook and your mom is the Evil Queen. Do you know how ridiculous this sounds?"

"I have a name, you know?" Henry laughed, remembering saying those very words to Emma five years ago when they first met. "Oh, and not to overwhelm you, but my father, Neil, he's the son of Rumplestiltskin." Henry laughed.

"Neil?" Emma sat up again at the mention of his name. "How do you know who your father is? Who told you—"

"I think she's heard enough for one day, Henry," Regina jumped in to cut them off. "Emma is already overwhelmed and not feeling well and it's going to take some time for her to get her memories back for herself so your stories won't help if that's all she's seeing them as... stories." Regina was blunt and knew her words were hurting everyone in the room, but she knew she had to be the voice of reason since Emma couldn't be.

Just as Regina finished, Whale made his way back into the room. "Emma, my recommendation for you is to go back to how you were living before. That's the best way to spark your memories. Move back into your home with Hook and go about your life and the memories will come with time. But your injuries are healing well and I see no reason for you to continue staying in the hospital. Come back tomorrow afternoon and we can check your progress, but I'll get your discharge papers ready."

Emma nodded slowly but couldn't help the feelings of nausea and dizziness pulsing through her in waves. "So you're my boyfriend?" She looked at Hook with uncertainty.

"Aye. And I forgive you for the slap. Believe me, you've done worse to me. One time I came to New York to rescue you and Henry after a year of being cursed by the Wicked Witch. I tried to spark your memory with a kiss and got assaulted much worse by you, love." He smirked and raised an eyebrow, trying to flirt and spark her memory once again. He clearly failed when she just shook her head and dropped her gaze.

"Please!" Emma yelled. "Please, just **stop** **talking** about Wicked Witches and fairytales. I've clearly lost a large portion of time and need to just work on getting my memories back. However, if Henry is my son, I think it would be best to live with him and... and her," she blurted out and lifted her hand to point in Regina's direction.

"It's Regina, dear. It's not too hard to remember."

"Right, sorry. Henry and Regina. I think I should be living with them." Emma protested, proud to hear the sureness of her voice come back for the first time since she opened her eyes.

Regina couldn't help but smirk in everyone's direction after hearing Emma's words and seeing Henry's eyes light up in excitement.

Snow immediately shook her head. "Emma, honey. If Dr. Whale believes that going back to live with Hook and resuming your life will be the best way to get your memories back, then that's what you need to do."

"Snow, oh cut the crap! Emma is old enough to make her own decisions." Regina snapped with a sharp tongue.

"Regina, do not start this. Not here and not now. If you care about our daughter then you know we need to be there to support her and listen to the doctor." David cut in to defend his wife.

"Great. Take medical advice from Frankenstein. Just great!" Regina rolled her eyes and stomped out of the room, Henry in tow.

"Wait, did she just say Frankenstein?!" Emma's eyes bulged and she slammed her body back against the bed in defeat and groaned.


	4. Chapter Four - Emma, Friday 5pm

"This is our home?" Emma pondered out loud in Hook's direction, glancing around at the interior of a house that felt foreign to her. She saw pictures on the walls of the two of them. Pictures of Henry. Pictures of her and the strangers who were supposedly her parents. She wondered why she didn't have pictures with Regina, but knew it wasn't a good time to bring that up. Emma knew, though, that she couldn't get the brunette out of her head since the moment she woke up and couldn't figure out why.

"Aye. We moved in recently and are finally getting acclimated. It's a welcome change from the Jolly Roger, as much as I loved my ship."

"Right... forgot about the whole uh, "Captain Hook" thing." Hook frowned at her air quoting his name. "That'll still take some getting used to. So tell me — is it okay if I call you Killian? Because I don't know if I can call you Captain Hook with a straight face." Emma laughed, trying to find the humor in this situation.

"You can call me whatever you'd like, love." He raised an eyebrow and she blushed, mildly flattered by his flirting, or at least his level of attention he was giving her. She wasn't used to feeling wooed by men so easily but she liked his charm and sense of humor.

"I apologize again for the slap at the hospital. You just took me by surprise." Emma confessed, immediately surprised at how easy it was for her to be honest with her thoughts. But she knew she had to just be open if it meant getting her memory and life back to the way it was.

"Well, you know how you could make it up to me? I never did get that kiss from you that I wanted. He smirked again and leaned in to kiss her. She kissed him back gently and decided that this might be an easy way to get her memory back. She'd seen it in movies before. Someone remembers lost memories after kissing someone they love and the feelings come rushing back.

She figured it couldn't hurt. Obviously if they lived together, they must kiss often enough, so what was the harm?

She pushed him back onto the sofa and straddled him while deepening their kiss. Before she knew it, his warm tongue was inside her mouth, aggressively fighting for dominance. Emma felt her eyes flutter back in pleasure but quickly realized her mind wasn't there with this Killian man she barely knew. Her thoughts were flooded with images of the woman she remembered earlier. The one was was supposedly the Evil Queen. Regina. The only person she felt any sort of connection to since she had woken up.

"Killian, wait." She cut him off as his hand slipped under her shirt. He pulled away carefully, looking like a lost puppy staring up at the blonde beauty in his lap.

"What's wrong, love? Did you remember something?"

"Maybe. No. Not really. I have to go!" Emma slid her arms into the sleeves of her leather jacket and ran out the door. Hook stayed on the couch, too stunned to say a word.

She yanked her cell phone out of her back pocket and found Regina's name in her contact list. After two dial tones, she heard the familiar voice on the other end of the phone. "Emma. What's wrong? Is everything okay, dear?"

"No, it's not. Not really. I need to see you but I don't know where you live and I'm not allowed to drive with my concussion. Can you pick me up?"

"Of course. I'll be there in ten minutes." Regina hung up the call and Emma plopped down on the front steps. She could feel Hook's eyes on her watching through the window upstairs.

While she sat in the cold, waiting for Regina to pull up to the house, she glanced down at her cell phone. Her phone wallpaper was a picture of her and the boy, Henry, she woke up next to earlier in the hospital. She smiled at the picture, but felt guilty not knowing who he was or who even took the picture of them in the first place. She groaned and tucked the phone away.

* * *

"Make yourself at home, dear. I'm making lasagna for dinner and it'll be ready shortly. Why don't you go help Henry set the table?"

Emma nodded and walked into the kitchen. Henry smiled at her and approached her for a hug. "I know you don't remember me, but I'm so happy you're okay. I just needed to hug you."

Emma smiled and looked down at the boy with his arms wrapped around her who she desperately wished she could remember. "Well, even if I don't remember the past few years, that doesn't mean you aren't my son and I'm glad I'm okay, too."

Emma couldn't keep the smile off her face as they all sat down to eat. She took a bite of the lasagna couldn't hold back the loud moan that escaped her lips. Regina shifted uncomfortably in her chair and snapped her gaze up at Emma before clearing her throat.

"Miss Swan, I know my cooking is impeccable but that's highly inappropriate to do in front of a 15-year-old boy. Must I remind you that he's our son?"

Emma laughed and offered a fake apology. "Sorry, sorry! But, c'mon… this is the best lasagna I've ever tasted. If all of your cooking is this good, good luck getting rid of me because I'm definitely moving in here permanently."

Regina felt a tug from somewhere inside her after hearing the blonde's words. She couldn't recognize the feeling but she liked the way it felt and decided to keep this discussion going. "Just wait until we get to dessert!" She winked at Emma and the blonde blushed and began fidgeting before taking another bite of her dinner.

"Let me guess, since you're the Evil Queen, apples are involved? Just promise not to poison me, your majesty." She let out a loud laugh at her own joke and Regina couldn't help but grin at the irony. If only Emma knew.

"Mom, can I show Emma my story book? Maybe it will help her remember." Henry eagerly asked Regina after taking the last bite of his apple pie.

"Yes, Henry. That's a wonderful idea. Why don't you go grab it and Emma can meet you in the living room while I clean up?"

Henry jumped up and sprinted to his room to grab his book. He settled onto the couch and began to tell Emma about how everything that ever happened is in the book and how he's actually the author now. Emma flipped through the book and became engulfed in the stories. She was amazed to know the details and the twists on the classic stories she grew up hearing and reading about, but part of her just didn't believe it to be anything more than just stories. She knew she wasn't a savior. And that her parents didn't put her in a magical wardrobe to break the Evil Queen's curse. Speaking of the Evil Queen, Emma lifted her head and smiled when she saw Regina enter the room.

She was carrying two mugs of hot cocoa with cinnamon then handed one to Emma and one to Henry. Emma glanced into the mug then grinned from ear to ear.

"How did you know it was my favorite?" She questioned. "Most people don't mix chocolate and cinnamon."

"I know a lot about you, dear. We have quite the long, complicated history. But we can save those stories for later. Let's just focus on the fairytales in the book for now and then let you get some rest."

Emma nodded at her response and flipped to the next page of the story book.


	5. Chapter Five - Friday 9:30pm

Regina's knuckles tapped gently against the door of the guest room where Emma planned to stay for the night. When the handle turned and the door swung open, Regina let out a gasp at the sight of Emma standing in front of her wearing only a white tank top and her panties and felt a sense of deja vu as she admired the way the blonde's waves fell down past her shoulders. She felt her gaze begin to wander down toward the blonde's long, bare legs but snapped her head back up as Emma began to speak.

"Oh, ugh sorry about that. I didn't get any clothes from my... um... home before I left. I was too embarrassed and didn't want to hurt Killian. It was bad enough that I just left him there without much of an explanation."

"I'm just glad it was me at the door and not our son, Miss Swan. You can borrow my clothes for the night. I assume you only plan to stay for tonight and then you'll head back tomorrow? I'll never hear the end of it from your parents if I go against their wishes and let you stay here for too long."

Emma just frowned but nodded in understanding. "Right. One night. Thanks, Regina. I really appreciate this. And I definitely appreciate watching you try to hide the fact you were clearly just checking me out." Emma smirked and Regina couldn't help but blush.

"Oh, don't flatter yourself. I was simply surprised to see you answering the door wearing... that." She gestured her hand up and down Emma's body to indicate what she was referring to.

Emma raised an eyebrow in disbelief but decided not to push it. "But I am serious when I say I appreciate you being here for me. I know I don't remember anything about my life here, but for some reason..." Her voice trailed off for a moment before she continued. "Never mind. Forget it. It's dumb."

"Emma, don't say that. You can talk to me. Tell me what's on your mind. Henry is asleep and I have all the time in the world and want to hear what's going on in your head." Regina reassured her and glanced back at the blonde, truly hoping she would change her usual ways and be vulnerable and let Regina see past the walls she always has up.

"This might sound crazy, but when I was unconscious I think I had a dream about you. I think that's why I feel like I know you but don't remember anyone else," Emma began. "Obviously, it was a dream so I don't actually remember who you are. But something about you feels safe. In this dream, we were sort of, um, together? You know, like uh, a couple. And we lived together. I know it's silly..." Emma was rambling and prayed Regina would cut her off

Regina's heart was racing and she let out a breath to calm herself down before speaking. "Well, that certainly is an interesting dream. We may not be a couple, but I've grown to think of you as my close friend and we do have Henry together so I guess your dream makes sense since Henry is my only family and he's also your son."

"Oh, right." Emma's heart dropped after hearing Regina's response. She immediately realized that part of her wished Regina would've said they were a couple and it wasn't just a dream. But then she remembered Hook and how she was supposed to be with him. It was all just a fantasy in her head, but what Emma couldn't figure out was why. Why did she dream she was with Regina when she doesn't even remember her?

Regina sensed Emma's nervous reaction and before she could even think about what she was doing, she reached out and took ahold of one of Emma's hands and brought it up to her chest. Emma couldn't help but gasp when she felt Regina's racing heartbeat. Before she knew it, Emma leaned in closer until their lips were just an inch away. She could feel Regina's warm breath and couldn't peel her eyes off of her soft lips as her mind continued to race.

Regina pulled away suddenly. "Miss Swan, you really should be getting some rest. It'll help you feel better."

"I know something else that could help me feel better right now, too," Emma mumbled under her breath although she was sure Regina could hear it crystal clear.

"What was that, dear?" Regina lifted an eyebrow in the blonde's direction and avoided breaking their eye contact.

"Nothing. I was just agreeing with you and saying I do need rest," Emma lied. She knew Regina heard her but didn't want to cause any problems with the only person she could trust or even vaguely remember at the moment.

"You know, I must say that I do like this version of you, Miss Swan. You're much more agreeable. Much easier to deal with. Sweet dreams." Regina pulled the door closed the door behind her and made her way down the hall to the master bedroom and climbed into bed after carefully folding down the sheets. She knew it would be a long night because all she could think about was how it would've felt if she didn't pull away and had let Emma kiss her instead. The brunette shook her head, trying to dismiss the idea. She knew Emma wasn't herself and this was all just because of Emma's dream.

Regina tried every trick in the book to try and fall asleep and eventually, hours later, fell into a deep slumber.


	6. Chapter Six - Regina, Saturday 7:30am

Regina woke up to the sound of someone knocking vigorously on her door. "Hey mom, are you up? Mom?" Henry pushed the door open and when he saw Regina's was leaning forward to sit up, he bolted into the room. "Emma is still asleep and I was thinking we could make her some breakfast together and surprise her with breakfast in bed! What do you think?"

Regina smiled at the idea and hopped out of bed to join Henry in the kitchen.

* * *

"Mmm, what time is it?" Emma groaned. Her eyes opened slowly as she adjusted to the sunlight coming through the blinds and she saw Henry and Regina on either side of her on the bed. Her memories of the previous day flooded back to her. "Oh my god, are those pancakes? Okay, I'm awake!" She jolted up and grabbed the fork off the tray before diving into her first bite of pancakes. She let out a moan of appreciation and Regina felt a warmth pulse through her core at that sound again. She shot Emma a look, but the blonde was too busy scarfing down forkfuls of pancakes to notice the effect she had on the brunette.

"Oh my god, apple cinnamon pancakes? Yup, it's official. I'm never leaving this house. I want your cooking every day!" Emma mumbled with her mouth full and her lips curled up into a smile as Regina and Henry both laughed.

A smile appeared on Henry's face at the sound of Emma's words. He grabbed the other fork and began to lean toward the plate of pancakes in front of Emma. Emma yanked the plate away from his reach and glared at him through squinted eyes before cracking herself up. "Just kidding, kid. Of course I'll share with you! Thanks to both of you for making me breakfast. I'll help clean since you cooked!"

"Don't be silly, dear. I've already cleaned up. And believe me, I've seen the way you clean and I would hardly call that cleaning." Regina smiled as memories filled her head of Emma's lack of organization and natural sense of disorder.

* * *

"Mom, are you _sure_ Emma has to leave? She likes it better here. She said so herself! Why does she have to go back to the house with Killian when we both know that her home is right here with us." Henry whined.

Regina's head snapped in his direction, taken back by his words. "Why would you say that her home is with us, Henry? Emma is with Hook and you know that."

"Oh c'mon, mom. As much as it pains you to admit it, you and I both know **we** are what's best for Emma. She loves us. Both of us"

Regina blinked at her son, unable to find the right words to say.

Emma dragged her feet behind her as she entered the living room, and Regina secretly thanked her for bringing their conversation to a halt. "So I guess I have to go back now?"

"Yes, dear. Let's get going." Regina snatched her keys off the hook and they headed toward the front door. Emma stopped walking to give Henry a hug goodbye.

"See you later, kid. You know? I'm glad you turned out to be so awesome, despite being raised by Madam Mayor Bossy Pants over here." Emma teased, jolting her thumb out in the direction of a serious-faced Regina who just rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Miss Swan, I said let's get going." Emma groaned at the mayor's lack of patience and inability to take a joke.

They both shivered as they felt the gust of cold wind. "I have a question. Why do you call me Miss Swan when you obviously know my name?"

"Why do you call Henry "kid" when you obviously know his name?" The brunette shot back without hesitation.

"Touché. Okay, you won that round. I'll give you kudos for that." Emma laughed as she gripped the passenger door handle and pulled it open.

Regina stood next to the door on the passenger side, watching as Emma sat down. Just as Regina's hand touched the edge of the door frame to close the door for the blonde, Emma decided to toss out another sly comment. "Not gonna lie, you calling me Miss Swan is pretty damn hot. Very authoritative and controlling, but I like it." Emma winked at the mayor before Regina slammed the door and rolled her eyes, trying her best to ignore Emma's comment but failing. As she climbed into the car behind the wheel, she made a mental note of how Emma felt about her nickname.

Emma decided to keep this going, knowing Regina was getting a kick out of it, despite her constant eye rolling. "I wonder what it would be like if you called me Miss Swan in bed and ordered me to do things to you. OH! Or what if I started bossing you around and made you do things to me. I better come up with a hot nickname for you, your majesty."

Regina swallowed, trying to calm her nerves. She had never felt so affected by someone's words. She kept her gaze forward and her hands gripped the wheel as she sternly replied. "Miss Swan, let's get one thing straight. I'm the only one who gives the orders. In bed or otherwise. Are we clear?"

Emma went quiet. Perhaps she was speechless now that she finally got the reaction she hoped to get from her continuous teasing.

"That's what I thought, dear."


	7. Chapter Seven - Emma, Saturday 2pm

"Swan, I'm so happy you're okay. I tried calling you but you didn't answer and I wanted to give you some space."

Regina waved goodbye and Emma just smiled in Hook's direction, giving him no verbal reply.

"I'm going to go take a shower. Maybe it'll make me feel better," Emma stated and began dragging one foot after the other up the stairs.

She slipped out of the clothes she borrowed from Regina and stepped into the shower. As the hot water ran down her back, Emma let out a sigh. Thoughts of Regina filled her head again and she realized she already missed her son and his adoptive mother.

As she rinsed the conditioner out of her hair, the sound of the shower's glass door sliding open startled her. She jumped and turned around, covering her exposed body with her hands at the sight of the naked pirate in front of her.

"Um, Killian. What are you doing?"

"I figured you might be sore from the accident so I wanted to join you in the shower to help you wash off," he admitted, sounding as innocent as possible trying not to overstep or scare her off again.

"Oh, um- uh- thanks," Emma stuttered. She didn't remember a time when she felt this weak and nervous. The feeling of Killian rubbing the soap across her stomach felt relaxing and she closed her eyes and sighed. As much as Regina and Henry consumed her thoughts, she remembered the doctor's advice to try and get back into her old routine so she could get her memory back. Emma knew she wanted to get back to normal as soon as possible so she let him continue to wash her, hoping this would help distract her from the thoughts of Regina that were overwhelming her and clouding her mind.

They stepped out of the shower and he handed a towel to her before grabbing a towel for himself. Emma's eyes glanced up and down his wet body and she smiled in appreciation.

"Alright, love. Let's get you into some sweatpants and let you get some rest."

"How about you join me in bed?" Emma suggested with a grin, although she could hear the tone of uncertainty in the words as they escaped her lips.

Hook smiled and lifted her up in one swift motion. Her carried her to the bed and laid her down before his lips found hers. He yanked her towel aside and took a moment to admire her bare body.

Emma squeezed her eyes shut. Before she knew it, her mind wandered again. In her head, she was back in Regina's home where she felt safe and perhaps even loved. Something she couldn't remember feeling for a long time.

She kept her eyes glued shut as he continued to explore her mouth with his tongue. He made his way down her body with kisses and rubbed the inside of her thigh a little too rough for her liking. As his firm hand made its way up her thigh to her warm center, Emma exhaled.

Her eyes darted open as soon as she felt his hand brush against her most intimate area. Her head began to pound and she reached to massage her temple. "Killian, wait!"

"What is it, love? Please, let me make you feel better. I can help you if you just let me."

"No, this feels wrong. I don't even know you!" She yelled. "And I'm getting dizzy."

"Swan, just let me help you! Stop being so stubborn," he snapped.

"Killian, I said no and I don't feel well!" He yanked his hand away and sighed in frustration.

Emma grabbed the towel off the bed beside her, stood up quickly and wrapped it around her body. She regretted how fast she stood as she felt a rush of blood flow to her pulsing head.

Her blurred gaze watched as he pulled a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt out of her drawer for her to throw on. As soon as he was close enough, Emma snatched the clothing out of his hand. She turned away from him, feeling his eyes burning into her exposed backside. She slid the shirt over her head and leaned forward, stepping into the sweatpants while using her free hand to hold onto the bed for balance. She felt a whirl of dizziness around her again and everything started to blur.

"Killian?" Emma shouted, her voice full of fear.

"What in bloody hell did I do wrong now?" He snapped back. Then he noticed Emma's hands pressed to her throbbing head.

"Call Regina," is the last thing Hook heard before watching Emma fall to the ground.

"Swan!"


	8. Chapter Eight - Regina, Saturday 4pm

"Emma? Is everything alright?" Regina spoke before the phone even came in contact with her ear.

"Regina - It's Killian. Emma fainted! I'm not sure what happened. We were kissing and uh- doing other stuff and she was fine and then she stopped and got up and fell right back down. She asked me to call you right before she fell so I grabbed her phone off the night table."

"I'll be right there. Do not move her or do anything!"

Regina didn't waste any time and poofed over to their house, arriving in the bedroom and quickly taking in the scene around her. The first thing she saw was a shirtless Hook and her lip curled up in disgust. Her eyes darted toward the bed and she saw a damp towel crumbled up into a ball. Once she saw the sight of Emma's body sprawled out on the carpeted floor, she gasped. She flinched at the sight but ran over to the blonde without hesitation.

She bit her lip in frustration, wishing she could use her magic to help somehow. Before she knew what she was doing, she began running her fingers through Emma's damp hair that was clinging to the side of her face.

"Emma? Can you hear me?" She whispered, already knowing the answer. After a few moments of silence passed, she pulled out her cell phone and punched in Whale's phone number.

* * *

"Well the good news is that she just fainted and her MRI isn't showing any damage to the brain. Did she eat anything today? Was she stressed?" Whale asked, his eyes shifting between both Regina and Hook.

"What kind of question is that, of course she's stressed! She doesn't remember anything about her life!" Regina barked back and rolled her eyes at the doctor's incompetence. "And she had pancakes this morning. Has she ate anything since then?" She peered up at Hook, impatiently waiting for an answer.

"Um, no. She came home, showered and we were in bed. She never mentioned that she was hungry."

"Did you ever think to offer her any food when she came home or make her a snack? She is obviously distracted and you need to be taking care of her!" She ripped into the pirate and continued. "Clearly she's in better hands at my house where I can help take care of her and make sure she gets the proper care and nutrition she needs in order to heal. Don't you agree, Doctor?" Regina let the word, doctor, roll off her tongue sarcastically in contrast to the rest of her sentence.

Before Hook could respond, Emma began to stir. "Re-Regina? What happened?" She stared at both of them, waiting for an answer. Before either got the chance to speak, Whale jumped in.

"Emma, you fainted but your tests came back okay. Just try to take it easy and try not to put yourself under any additional stress. Did you feel any head pain before you fainted?"

Emma nodded but lowered her gaze. The guilt washed over her, knowing she should've spoken up sooner about her dizziness when she was with Killian.

Before anyone could speak another word, Snow and David pushed open the door and sprinted over to their daughter. Emma jerked away from them though, uncomfortable in their presence.

Regina took a moment to let them know what happened. She remained calm as she explained, but her voice grew firm. "I don't care if Whale thinks Emma returning home with Hook is a good idea. She needs someone to care for her right now and I'm willing to step in. Besides, Emma and Henry should be together during this time."

Snow didn't bother to protest, nor did David, much to Hook's dismay. They simply nodded and Killian let Regina know he would drop off some of Emma's stuff at Regina's home later. He kissed Emma on the forehead and refused to make eye contact with anyone in the room as he walked away, his arms hanging at his side in defeat.

Emma felt a pang of guilt but it quickly dissipated when she locked eyes with Regina again. Although Henry told her about her duty as the savior, Emma felt that Regina was the one doing the saving these days. "Thank you," she mouthed to Regina and the brunette gave her a firm nod in return.


	9. Chapter Nine - Regina, Saturday 7pm

"Mom, Mom!" Henry called out when Regina poofed herself and Emma back into the mansion on Mifflin Street. "Are you both alright?"

"Emma fainted, sweetie. She's going to be staying with us again for a little while. Why don't you go get cleaned up for dinner and I'll whip something up. You're probably hungry," she paused and glimpsed at Emma. "Both of you." Emma nodded and smiled when she realized her head already felt better than before when she was back at the house with Killian.

Henry ran upstairs in a hurry to get cleaned up and Emma began setting the table. Suddenly, she froze and peered at Regina before she collapsed onto the chair and brought a shaky hand to her forehead.

"What is it, dear? Are you dizzy again?"

"No, it's not that. I just realized something. I know where all the dishes are in your house," Emma let out a deep breath before continuing. "I knew where to find the silverware and the napkins and the plates." She directed her gaze at the table she finished setting moments ago and shook her head. "How can I possibly remember little things like that but not remember my own family or friends or life for the past five years?" Regina was certain the blonde's voice just cracked and she was about to cry.

Regina rushed to her side and reached out to place her hand on the blonde's muscular shoulder. She traced small circles with her thumb to help soothe her. "Just think of this as a puzzle. You have all the pieces, they just need to come together in your brain before you can fully remember. Emma, I promise everything will come back together soon enough."

"Do you really think so?" Emma spoke slowly with a cracked voice as she wiped away a single tear that trickled down her cheek. She locked eyes with the brunette, waiting to hear her response.

"I know so. You're the strongest person I know, Emma. If anyone can get through this, it's you." She moved her hand up and ran her fingers through the blonde's wavy tresses, smiling at her.

* * *

After dinner, Emma offered Regina help with the dishes. Regina reluctantly agreed and tossed a dish towel in her direction. "I'll wash, you dry?"

Emma just nodded and smiled. "So what's Henry doing tonight? It's a Saturday night. Shouldn't he be out with friends?"

"He's going to the movies tonight with his girlfriend, Violet. They just started dating but she seems like a sweet girl."

"Oh, that's good. I'm glad the kid is happy. Do you think maybe you and I could watch a movie tonight, too?" Emma's bottom lip curled over her top lip to form her cutest, most innocent puppy dog face she could make, hoping it would persuade the brunette to say yes.

"Oh Emma. You don't have to beg. I love the idea of a nice, quiet night just watching a movie with you. What do you want to watch?"

"Hmm. I don't know. How about Harry Potter?" She asked eagerly.

After Regina dropped Henry off at the theater and reminded him to be home by 11, she rushed home to get back to Emma. Just the thought of some alone time with the blonde made her smile.

After changing into her silk pajamas, Regina made her way down the steps and watched Emma pop the DVD into the player under the television. Regina headed toward the couch carrying two blankets and a bottle of wine.

"You're only allowed one glass, Emma. Do you understand? I'm not trying to make you faint again. You can resume your drinking habits once you feel a little better." She poured them each a glass of the red wine and leaned in to take a sip then glanced at Emma, admiring her as the red liquid made contact with her parted lips.

In that moment, she realized Emma's true beauty. Her blonde waves were framing her makeup-free face and she looked so content with her sweatpants and T-shirt on, wrapped in the blanket. Regina couldn't help but force herself to duck her head to hide her smile.

"You know, you really suck at being discreet when you check me out." Emma laughed and raised her eyebrow. "Besides, if you're checking me out now, I'd love to see your reaction when I'm wearing some nice tight jeans. Or my favorite skin-tight red dress. Or even better, if I were naked!" Emma winked and looked back at the TV, not waiting to see the brunette's response.

Regina swallowed, speechless. She was thankful Emma wasn't waiting for a response because she could feel her lungs fighting for air. Her heartbeat was racing just thinking about Emma's words.

"Hey, Regina?" Emma started, quick to change the topic. "If you're really the Evil Queen, can you do magic like Harry Potter?"

Regina let out a deep laugh. "Yes, dear. I can do magic. But I don't need a wand. Do you want to see?"

Emma's eyes lit up and she jolted up, nodding uncontrollably and rubbing her hands together in excitement.

Regina simply opened the palm of her hand and a ball of fire appeared. Emma gasped and her eyes grew wide when Regina threw the fireball into the fireplace to light the wood.

Emma looked pleased and Regina's skin tingled before filling her in on a secret. "Oh, and do you want to know something even better?" She paused but the blonde remained quiet. "You have magic, too, Emma."

"Me? Wait, me? _I_ have magic?" Emma laughed in disbelief and shook her head, assuming that Regina was joking.

"Yes, you. I've taught you how to control it before. I can do it again."

"I would like that. A lot actually. But not tonight, that might be a little too much too soon." Emma declared. "But I do know what I would like..."

Regina waited for the blonde to finish her train of thought, expecting something sexual or inappropriate to come out of her mouth.

"Come closer. Please" Emma lifted up her blanket and patted the spot on the couch right next to her." Regina decided she didn't want to protest and quickly shifted over on the couch closer to Emma.

"Lie down in front of me," Emma instructed. It wasn't a request.

"I thought I already told you… I'm the only one who gives orders," Regina laughed.

"Oh, trust me, I remember. Now would you just shut up and do what I say, your majesty?"

Regina's breath hitched in her throat and she felt a flutter inside her stomach. She simply nodded and inched her way over until she could lay down and put her head in Emma's lap. She tucked her legs out to the side and Emma covered her bare, bronzed legs with the blanket. Before Regina could protest them sharing a blanket, she jumped at the feel of Emma's fingertips sliding under the brunette's silk pajama top. She didn't pull away though and Emma stroked her back gently.

"Emma, I'm supposed to be the one taking care of you." Regina stated but refused to move, enjoying the feeling of Emma's soft hands caressing her bare skin.

"But then who would take care of you?"

Regina felt her eyes getting heavy. She glanced at the TV and watched as the sorting hat informed Harry that he'd been placed into Gryffindor before the sleepiness consumed her.


	10. Chapter Ten - Regina, Sunday 6:30am

Regina could see the light from the sun beaming through the curtain as she began to wake up in a daze. She took in her surroundings for a few moments, recognizing that she was still downstairs on the sofa and Emma was cuddled up against her back, one of her arms draped lazily over the brunette's torso. Despite the fact that she slept on a sofa, Regina couldn't recall a time when she felt more comfortable and content.

She noticed the fire was completely out in the fireplace, their bottle of wine remained on the coffee table, but someone had put the cork back into the bottle and shut off the television. Then she remembered Henry went out last night and came home after the two fell asleep, so he must've closed up.

She glanced at the clock and when she saw the bold letters staring back at her, informing her it was already 6:30 and they were asleep together all night, she wiggled out of the blonde's embrace without waking her so she could go check on Henry.

Her bare feet were silent as she crept up the steps and down the hall toward his bedroom. When she pushed the door open, she smiled at the sight of her son fast asleep.

She chewed on her bottom lip and squinted her eyes, wondering why Henry didn't wake her when he came in. As she began to pull his door closed and head back downstairs, Henry opened his eyes.

"Mom? Good morning." His voice was groggy with sleepiness, but Regina made his way over to him and sat down on the bed beside him.

"Good morning, sweetie. What time did you get home yesterday?"

"Don't worry. I was home before 11. The movie ended at 9:30 and I walked Violet home then headed straight home from her house. I saw you and Emma were asleep already and I didn't want to wake you. I locked up and turned off the porch lights before I went to bed. Did you both have a nice night?"

Regina simply smiled at how mature her son had become in a few short years. "Yes, Henry. We had a nice night. And guess what?" Henry's eyes lit up in curiosity. "I told Emma about magic. I lit the fire for her and then told her she had magic, too. She took it really well. She said she'd like me to teach her how to use her magic someday soon."

"That's great, Mom! When are you going to teach her?"

"I don't want to scare her just yet since she's still recovering, but I'll bring it up again today and see how she reacts."

"This is going to be great. That will definitely help her get her memories back once she remembers you taught her magic!" Henry jumped up.

Regina let out a deep breath. "Henry. I don't want you to get your hopes up that this will help. I want her to remember who she is, but there's no guarantee anything we do will work. She has to just remember on her own."

Henry sighed. "Oh, Mom. Maybe I spend way too much time around Snow and David, but I have hope that we can do it. If anyone can help her regain her memories, it's us."

Regina corrected him, "No, Henry. It's you who can. Not me. You're the one who got her to believe in the first place."

"Have a little faith in yourself, Mom. I've seen the way you two look at each other. I know you both would never admit it, but deep down, you know exactly what I'm talking about. You love her."

Her mouth went dry as she tried to figure out how to respond to her son's words. She blinked rapidly a few times and looked down.

"I knew it! Mom, you need to tell her how you feel! Everything will be so perfect. She can move in here permanently and we can finally all be together. I'll have both of my moms and you'll both get your happy endings!"

"Henry Daniel Mills. I will do no such thing. And you will not say a word of this to her, do you hear me? That's the last thing she needs right now. Besides, I never said I loved her. I simply see her as a close friend who also is the woman who gave me you, so of course I love her. Just not in the way you're implying."

"Whatever you say, Mom. You can deny it all you want."

"C'mon. Let's go get breakfast started and try not to wake up sleeping beauty downstairs. You and I both know she's not a morning person." The two of them both laughed and made their way down the stairs as quietly as possible.


	11. Chapter Eleven - Emma, Sunday 7:30am

"Regina?" Emma called out for the brunette before she could even open her eyes. Her body was drenched in sweat, yet she was shaking to warm her freezing body. "Regina?! Regina!"

Both Regina and Henry sprinted into the living room after hearing the panic in Emma's voice.

Regina knelt down next to Emma on the couch and didn't hesitate before reaching out to brush the loose hairs out of her face. "Shh, it's okay. We're both right here. What's wrong?"

"I remember something. I - I." She stuttered and desperately tried to get the words out, but her memories weren't making sense in her head anymore and she struggled to form a sentence. "I remember I was driving out of Storybrooke and saw a wolf in the road. I don't know how there was a wolf in the road. Maybe it was just a dream..." Her voice trailed off in disappointment for a moment but Regina and Henry kept their eyes glued on her, encouraging her to keep going. "But then I swerved my car to the side and spun out and crashed into a sign and I hit my head. That must be how I lost my memory! But why was I leaving? Where was I going?"

"Mom, it's okay. That's not what caused you to lose your memory."

"What- What do you mean it isn't how I lost my memory? I - I remember!" She yelled, still shaking and gasping for breath. Her lips trembled and Regina knew she was about to cry so she reached out and wrapped her arms around the blonde.

"Emma, dear. Just breathe. We will explain everything, you don't need to worry. But you do need to breathe. Can you do that for me?" Regina felt Emma nod a couple times before she nuzzled her head into Regina's shoulder. Regina rubbed her back gently and continued to talk. "The first day you came to Storybrooke after Henry found you in Boston, you were about to leave when the wolf appeared in the road and you crashed your car into the Storybrooke sign. That was five years ago."

"So I've been in two car accidents since I've arrived in Storybrooke? Maybe it's time for me to trade it my trusty ole' Bug after all." Emma sighed, half laughing and half disappointed.

"Ha! I knew you'd cave one day and realize that death trap on wheels for what it really is!" Regina smiled, proud that Emma finally admitted her car was a piece of junk. "But yes, you crashed twice. Except the first time, instead of me caring for your safety, I had you arrested for damaging town property."

Emma's head perked up. "You - you what? Why?"

Henry let out a small laugh, remembering how much his moms hated each other back in the day, or so they both claimed. "Mom, wait. Let me take it from here." His gaze shifted from Regina to Emma. "Let's just say that Mom wasn't your biggest fan when you first arrived here. She felt threatened by you and tried to drive you out of town many times."

"Henry! I did not feel threatened! I simply felt it was in your best interest if Emma stayed out of our lives. Of course, in typical Emma fashion, she didn't go without a fight." Her son glared at her and the look he gave her made her cave in. "Okay, fine. I felt threatened."

"I cut down your tree." Emma blurted, her eyes wide. "Your apple tree! Behind your office!"

"Yes you did, dear. And let me tell you, you are the one and only person who has ever destroyed something of mine and lived to tell the tale." Regina smirked.

"I remember that… I remembered!" Emma's cheekbones jutted out as the huge smile came across her face. She sat up straight and locked eyes with Regina. "You charged right up to me and I swear I thought you were going to either kill me or kiss -" she cut herself off and both women turned their heads in Henry's direction. He was sitting on the couch next to her with a huge grin plastered on his face, eager for this conversation to continue. "What are you smiling about, kid?"

"My mom is right. Nobody else would've lived if they did that to her. But she liked you. You were the first person to challenge her and she didn't actually want to hurt you. In fact, she's rather fond of you. Isn't that right, Mom?" She raised an eyebrow and Regina knew exactly what he was implying.

"Henry, what did we talk about?"

"Mom, mom likes you." He stated blankly in Emma's direction.

"Yeah, kid. We established that. Despite me being a little prickly sometimes, I'm a pretty easy person to get along with. What's your point?" Emma frowned and squinted her eyes in confusion.

Regina intercepted before Henry had a chance to speak. "Henry, go check on breakfast. I need to talk to Emma." Henry groaned and walked into the kitchen and Regina proceeded. "What he means is that you're very important to me, Emma. You gave me Henry and I'll never forget that. Although you don't remember yet, you were a big influence in raising him once you came to town. Once you get the rest of your memories back, we can have this discussion further. But this isn't the time for it. Now would you like some Belgian waffles and hot cocoa with cinnamon or do you want to sit here while they get cold?"

"You know my weaknesses way too well, your majesty." Emma laughed and lifted herself off the sofa and made her way into the kitchen, grinning about how certain she was that Regina was checking her out right now as she walked away.


	12. Chapter Twelve - Emma, Sunday 3pm

Henry and Emma sat on the couch playing video games while Regina locked herself in her study, attempting to catch up on her work since she had been home with Emma all week.

The sound of soft knocking at the front door went unnoticed at first by all members of the house. It wasn't until the knocking grew louder and more persistent that Emma jumped up. "I'll get it!"

Emma pulled the handle and swung the door open, taking in the sight of a one-handed pirate struggling to balance a large box of toiletries and clothing in his hand. Emma quickly grabbed the box from him in one swift motion and set it down in the foyer.

"Swan." He breathed out and let the grin show that was fighting to make an appearance at the sight of his girlfriend. "I figured you could use some of your clothes and your toiletries so you're more comfortable." Emma just nodded.

"If I forgot anything that you need, just give me a ring and I'll bring it over to you. May I come in and talk?" Hook asked, cautious not to cross any lines and overstep her boundaries.

"Henry is right in the living room so I don't think that's a good idea. But let's step outside." She gestured toward the front of the house and followed behind him as they stepped into the cold air.

"Swan, you don't have a coat on. You're going to get sick." The concern in his voice was evident but Emma just shrugged. "How are you feeling?"

"I am doing well. I got a few memories back. Nothing major. Just some things from when I first came to Storybrooke after Henry wandered off to find me in Boston."

"That's great, love. I'm so glad to hear that. Maybe soon, the rest of your memories will return and you can come live with me again. I really miss you. The house is lonely, especially since I'm still used to the company of my crew aboard the Jolly Roger."

"Right. Still having trouble with all of that. Although it's pretty evident judging by the hook where your hand is supposed to be..." Emma's voice trailed off and her gaze shifted down to the ground.

Hook laughed, "Swan, you're sharing a house with the Evil Queen and you're still having trouble grasping this?"

"Hey, it's a lot to take in. I'm handling this one day at a time." She argued but he didn't bother trying to find a rebuttal.

"Have you talked to your parents? David called me a handful of times asking if I heard any news. They're really worried about you, love. You should try reaching out to them."

Emma nodded, knowing it probably was the right thing to do but she knew she wasn't ready yet. "I will when I'm ready. You can let them know I'm okay and I'm sorry for pushing them away. I'm sorry for pushing you away, too." Although she tried to sound sincere, her voice sounded dull and monotone.

Hook reached his hand out and grabbed hers. She looked up to lock eyes with him and immediately realized something wasn't right. She felt nothing but emptiness. When she locked eyes with Regina, she felt warm, as if her dark eyes somehow mesmerized the blonde. Her heart raced and her nerves tingled. But mostly, she just felt safe. She immediately knew that this thing she had with Killian was all wrong. She yanked her hand out of his and sternly told him he had to go.

Hook protested. "Please, Swan. You don't have to push me away. I want to help you through this. You don't have to feel so alone."

"I don't feel alone. I have what I need." She cranked her neck to peer over at the front door, her mind flooding with thoughts of Henry and Regina again. Hook began to speak again but Emma didn't hear a word that left his mouth because she was already half way inside the house and clicking the door shut.

Emma leaned her back against the door after locking it and let her body's weight slide down the wall until her butt made contact with the floor. She knew she should feel bad for what she said to him, but she didn't. Instead, she smiled when she heard the sound of Regina's voice calling her name from the living room.

She picked up her box of things and swayed her hips as she hopped eagerly toward the room full of the two people who mattered most to her.

"What did Captain Hook have to say this time?" Regina asked, the sarcasm oozed off her tongue as she said his name.

"He just wanted to drop off some of my stuff. He tried to talk to me but I told him I still need space."

Henry reached out and grabbed the box from Emma then offered to bring it up to the guest room for her and unpack. Emma smiled and nodded her head.

"Hey Regina, I was thinking... do you think you could try to teach me magic? You said you taught me before, so maybe that will help spark my memory." Emma asked softly, hoping she didn't come across as too eager.

"Emma, do you really think that's a good idea in your current state?"

"Regina, I promise I'll let you know immediately if I feel dizzy. Besides, we can start small and try something simple."

"Okay, I guess it couldn't hurt. But like you said, we are going to start with the basics. I'm talking amateur stuff, okay?"

"You've got it, your majesty. You tell me what to do and I'll do exactly what you say." Emma gave a playful grin and when Regina shot her a look, the blonde winked in return before locking eyes with the brunette.

The sound of Henry's heavy footsteps heading down the stairs startled both women at first and they turned on their heels to face him.

"Hey Moms, I'm going to make some popcorn? Do either of you want –"

Regina interrupted before he could finish his sentence. "No, Henry. You're not going to make popcorn. She shifted her weight and leaned back on her heels. "Emma is. With her magic."

Henry's eyes lit up. "You're going to teach her magic? This is awesome!" He sprinted to the kitchen and grabbed the popcorn kernels.

"Okay, Emma. This is very simple. All you have to do is heat the kernels until they pop. Are you ready?"

Emma bit her lip in determination as she mimicked Regina's motions to raise her hands over the kernels. As Emma worked on heating up the corn, Regina opened her palm and a large bowl appeared for Emma to drop the popped kernels into once she was successful.

Emma's agitation grew after several moments of nothingness. She felt anger growing inside her and tried to channel that energy and use it to produce heat. As soon as she felt like giving up, one kernel popped. Henry's eyes went wide and his grin stretched from ear to ear. "Mom, you did it!"

At the sound of the second kernel popping, a lost memory danced its way into Emma's brain. Suddenly, she was standing on a wooden bridge and the sound of the lapping water crashing against the rocks echoed from below. Emma felt the panic set in as she realized Regina was at the end of the bridge, slowly breaking it off into pieces until the bridge was barely in tact. As soon as the bridge snapped, Emma worked her magic - literally.

"Stop!" Emma screamed. She blinked and realized she was still safe in the comfort of the Mills' living room. "Regina, Henry, why are you both staring at me like that?" She eyed them both in confusion.

"You did it! You popped all the popcorn. Way to go, Mom! Both of you!" Henry was practically jumping up and down.

"I - I remembered something. The last time you taught me magic. You almost killed me on a bridge!" Emma yelled in Regina's direction and the brunette just laughed. Emma wasn't amused.

"Oh, dear. Back then, the one and only way I could get you to even attempt your magic was by putting you in harms way. And I worked. But believe me when I say this... You were never in any real danger. I wouldn't have hurt you."

Emma let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. "Well why the hell did you have to scare me like that? That was traumatizing!" She tried to yell and keep a straight face, but couldn't help but let out a laugh when she realized she knew Regina was telling the truth, she wouldn't have let Emma get hurt.

"It worked though, didn't it, dear?" They all cracked up and nodded in agreement before Henry dug his hand into the bowl of popcorn and popped a few pieces into his mouth.

"Okay, next lesson!" Emma jumped up and down like a young school girl. "How do I poof myself somewhere else like you did that day in the hospital?"

This time, Regina's laugh was deep and throaty, as if she was amused by Emma's idea. "Keep dreaming, dear. That's way too advanced."

"Careful, Regina. That laughter is totally showing off your Evil Queen side."

Regina's gaze shifted down.

"Oh and your majesty? You might want to learn how to recognize sarcasm and learn to take a joke while you're at it." She stuck her tongue out and Regina smiled, remembering how much of a goofball the blonde could be.

"I was kidding about the poofing somewhere else thing. Why would I want to do that when I'm exactly where I want to be?" Her stomach fluttered as the words left her lips and she truly hoped Regina's did, too.

"Can I try making a fire ball at least? That seems like standard protocol for magic 101."

Regina nodded in agreement. "You're right, that's simple enough. Okay, hold out your palm like this." Regina demonstrated but when Emma lifted her hand, a wave of dizziness overcame her.

Emma reached behind her to feel for the couch as she clenched her eyes shut in pain.

"Emma, dear. Are you alright?"

"Mom?" Henry chimed in and rushed to her side to help her sit down.

"I'm alright, kid. I just need to go lie down. Can you help me upstairs?" Henry nodded and began to grab onto his mother's arm to help her up. Regina stepped in and placed her hands on both of their shoulders. When Emma opened her eyes, she realized Regina poofed them up to the guest bedroom.

"That works, too. Thanks, Regina." She smiled and Henry helped her crawl into bed. The last thing Emma remembered before drifting to sleep was the feeling of peacefulness she that overcame her knowing both Henry and Regina had their eyes on her.


	13. Chapter Thirteen - Regina, Sunday 7pm

Grateful for getting most of her work done, Regina decided to reward herself with a glass of her homemade apple cider. Just as the liquid touched her lips, Henry strolled into the kitchen.

"Henry, would you mind checking on Emma? I don't want her to sleep for too long, otherwise she'll be up all night and you and I both know she gets antsy easily. She would probably end up waking me up at 4 in the morning simply out of boredom." Regina laughed but her mind wandered, imagining what it would be like if Emma crawled into her bed in the middle of the night. She shook the thoughts out of her mind and watched as her son walked up the stairs toward the guest room.

Regina heard her son call Emma's name and a groggy Emma asking what time it was. Regina pushed her chair back and made her way toward the sound of their voices.

When she walked into the room and locked eyes with Emma, the blonde's cheekbones appeared as her grin grew.

"How are you feeling, dear? Are you hungry? I made dinner earlier but didn't want to wake you just yet."

"I was just telling Henry that I feel much better but I'm still a little dizzy so I'm going to stay in bed. Unless there's lasagna. Then I'll race you to the kitchen!"

Regina giggled, embarrassed by the sounds she emitted that made her sound like a young school girl with a crush. "You never cease to amaze me, Miss Swan."

"Oh yeah?" She cocked her eyebrow in Regina's direction and Regina swallowed.

"How about I go warm up your dinner and you can eat it in bed. Perhaps Henry could even go get his story book and read to you some more?"

"I would love that!" Henry announced, already on his feet ready to go run and get his book.

"So would I, kid."

Henry jumped onto the bed next to Emma and propped up his pillow so he could sit up and read. "Which story would you like to hear next? Oh, how about we talk about the time you spent in the Enchanted Forest?"

"I, Emma Swan, was in the Enchanted Forest? You've got to be kidding me, right?"

"No, I'm not kidding. Mr. Gold marked my mom with an enchanted medallion and a Wraith was after her. You and your parents were helping her open a portal to send the Wraith through so it wouldn't be able to hurt her or anyone else in Storybrooke. Mom couldn't get it, but when you put your arm on her arm, the portal opened. I assume due to your magic? Unfortunately, it also sucked you and Snow through."

Emma's eyes looked like they were going to pop out of her head. "You'd think something like that would be hard to forget, but this just doesn't ring a bell. In fact, part of me still thinks I'm being Punk'd and Ashton Kutcher is going to walk in at any moment with his camera."

"Here, let me show you." Henry flipped the page and began walking through Emma and Snow's trip to the Enchanted Forest and how they were trying to find a way back. "You needed a bean in order to open the portal back so you had to climb a beanstalk with Hook. That's right after the two of you met. Although you weren't a big fan of him back then... you said he wasn't trustworthy."

"Well, he is a pirate after all." Regina laughed as she walked through the doorway carrying Emma's meatloaf dinner on a small tray.

"That smells delicious, Regina." Emma declared as she jabbed it with her fork and took her first bite. "Mmm. And it tastes even better!" She let out a loud, long moan that sent shivers up and down Regina's spine. She felt a pool of heat drawing to her core just thinking about what it would be like if Emma were making those noises due to something more than just her cooking skills. She cleared her throat to push the thoughts away and looked at Henry.

"Henry, it's a school night and it's getting late. Why don't you go brush your teeth and get ready for bed?" Regina asked with a firm, motherly tone.

"Oh c'mon, Mom. Let me read one more story. Please?"

"You're lucky I love you so much and can't say no to you sometimes. But this time, I want to pick the story. Let's tell Emma about the time when – "

"Mom! What's happening to Emma?!"

Regina's heart began to race as she looked over at the blonde. She had tears streaming down her eyes and both hands were pressed to her temples. Her face was distorted, her pain transparent.

"Emma, breathe. It's okay. Are you dizzy?"

Emma couldn't form words, she just slowly bowed her head for a moment before nodding.

"Let me see if this can help you at all." Before she finished getting her words out, she hovered her right hand over Emma's head. She felt the magic flowing out of her body and onto Emma in hopes that she could alleviate the pain. After a few moments, Emma's breathing returned to normal and she pulled her hands away from her head and wiped away any fallen tears that trickled out from the pain.

"Thank you. I feel much better. You'll need to teach me to do that in our next – ". Before Emma could finish her sentence, she felt a wave of nausea and squeezed her eyes shut. She pushed off the bed in an attempt to run to the bathroom, but with Henry on one side of her in bed and Regina standing at her side, she couldn't get out in time. Regina cringed with empathy for the blonde as she watched her empty the contents of her stomach onto the comforter. She jumped up and grabbed the trashcan beside the bed and tucked it in Emma's lap.

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry." Emma said as tears began to flow. "I've never gotten sick from the dizzy spells before. I didn't even have any morning sickness when I was pregnant with Henry. I'm so sorry, Regina. I'll buy you a new comforter. I promise."

Regina quickly realized what was happening as the scene unfolded in front of her. Emma grew up with many foster families who didn't care about her and Regina was certain after seeing Emma's reaction just now that she'd been in trouble in the past for getting sick. The thought made Regina a little nauseous herself.

Without any hesitation, Regina engulfed the blonde in her arms, trying hard to comfort her without making her feel constricted. "Emma, dear. I don't care about the comforter. All I care about is making sure you're alright."

Henry reached out and placed a firm hand on Emma's shoulder, reassuring her everything was okay." Don't worry, Mom can use her magic to clean this up in no time. We just want you to feel better."

Emma nodded against Regina's chest as her body filled with relief. She couldn't think of the right thing to say, so she remained quiet.

Regina's heart stung seeing Emma silently suffer so she kept one arm around her as the used the other arm and waved her hand over the comforter. Emma peeked her head up and the mess was gone. "See. No need to worry. It's as if it never even happened. Do you feel better now?"

Emma, still unsure what to say, just nodded her head then looked up at the two of them. "Thanks for taking care of me."

Regina smiled. "I promise, Henry and I will always be there to take care of you." Her gaze shifted in the direction of her son. "Henry, I think it's time for bed. I'm going to try and help Emma take a bath to help make her feel better."

Henry smiled and kissed Emma on the forehead. "Goodnight, Moms. I love you. Don't worry, Emma. You'll be better in no time. He hugged them both as he made his way to his room.

"Alright, Emma. Do you think you can stand on your own?"

"Yeah. I can do it." Emma sighed. "You don't have to help me. I can just hop in the shower really quick and change on my own. I've already been enough of a burden tonight."

Regina shook her head. "Nonsense. You aren't being a burden and I insist you let me help you." Emma bit her lip and looked into Regina's dark brown eyes. "What on earth are you smirking about right now?"

"Wow, you really meant it when you said you're the only one who gives orders. If you really wanted to see me naked that badly, you could've just asked."

Regina felt her face get warm and knew her cheeks were bright red from embarrassment. But she didn't care. She decided she'd play along. "Oh, Miss Swan. You never cease to amaze me. Even after getting ill, you still find a way to steer this conversation in a completely different direction. But let me make myself clear. If I wanted to see you naked, I would have had you by now. So don't flatter yourself, dear."

"Your majesty, you do realize your blushing is very evident." Emma smirked. "I know you want me. You don't have to deny it."

Regina's heart raced as she tried to come up with an excuse for her blushing, but her mind went blank. "Do you want me to help you into the tub or not?"

"You bet I do."

Emma slowly walked into the bathroom slowly, with most of her weight leaning on Regina who had one arm tucked around the blonde's back to support her.

Regina twisted the handle of the bathtub faucet. She stuck her hand under the flowing water to check the temperature and plugged the drain before turning to face Emma.

"Lift your arms," Regina commanded.

Emma did what she was told and Regina slowly tugged at the hem of her T-shirt and pulled it over her head. Her heart felt like it was about to pop out of her chest, but she fought with every ounce she had to not stare at the blonde's body. Now wasn't the right time or place. Instead, she knelt down and helped Emma step out of her sweatpants, one leg at a time.

"I won't judge you if you look, you know?" Emma laughed.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Miss Swan. I'm not interested in checking you out," she lied and cursed inwardly as she remembered Emma's super power. She mentally crossed her fingers, praying she wouldn't mention it.

"You do remember I can always tell when someone is lying?" Emma turned so that her completely exposed body was facing Regina, who still refused to look anywhere below the neck. "And you, your majesty, are lying through your teeth."

Regina prayed Emma wouldn't notice how badly her hands were shaking. Her lips parted but no sound came out. She fought to keep her posture in tact as she felt her knees go weak.

Emma continued taunting the brunette. "I really love the effect I have on you. I don't think I've ever been so turned on in my entire life. Although, I don't remember the last five years so for all I know, I always feel this way around you. Hell, I probably do."

Regina finally remembered to breathe, still unsure whether or not she wanted Emma to change the subject or not. She extended her open hand, gesturing for Emma to grab it as she helped lower her into the tub. Emma let out a soft moan of bliss as the warm water engulfed her. She handed Emma the soap and the loofah and Emma frowned.

"What is it now, dear?"

"You're not going to wash me? I thought I was gonna be pampered since, you know, I'm feeling so, so sick." Emma let out a fake cough then pressed the back of her hand to her forehead. "Actually, I might be coming down with a fever. I'm too weak. Yeah, here." She reached the soap out in Regina's direction. "You're going to have to help me. I simply feel too weak and can't do it myself."

Regina rolled her eyes. "You are so full of shit, you know that?" Regina wasn't normally one to curse, but letting it out helped relieve some of the tension she was feeling inside of her.

"Your majesty, language!" Emma smiled and continued to tease the brunette, in more ways than she knew.

Regina rolled her eyes again and frowned, worried that her eyes might actually get stuck like that from being in Emma's presence for too long. She reached out to grab the loofah and in the back of her mind, she gave herself a mental pat on the back, proud to know she still hadn't given in and let her eyes wander. She poured some soap onto the sponge and swallowed, knowing she was going to have to eventually shift her gaze downward to see where she was washing. She leaned over the tub and began rubbing the sponge over the blonde's arms and shoulders. Once those were clean, she rubbed the sponge over her chest and her gaze stopped right on her breasts as she began to wash them slowly.

"Well it's about damn time you looked. Like what you see?" Emma kinked her eyebrow. She was enjoying this way too much, but in reality, Regina couldn't admit that she wasn't loving every second of it as well.

"You do have very nice, um - assets, Miss Swan." Regina said, politely, as she continued to make her way down the blonde's chest with the sponge. She added a bit more soap to the sponge before gliding it over each leg and rubbing in circular motions.

"Why thank you. I can't wait until I get to see yours." Emma smiled.

"Keep dreaming, Miss Swan."

"Keep calling me that and I'll jump your bones right here. You'll be naked on top of me in this tub so fast it'll make your head spin." Emma dared to push Regina to her limits and she knew it was working.

Regina went speechless and her jaw dropped. She couldn't remember a time in her life when she had been rendered speechless. But here she was, unable to form a single sentence that would possibly be able to match what Emma just threw her way. She recognized this feeling. Lust. Desire. It was all fun and games until someone got hurt, and she knew it was always her who ended up hurt. Instead of playing along, she decided it was time to cut the bath short. "Okay, I think we're done."

"Um, I think you missed a spot, your majesty." Emma winked at her and Regina felt her knees go weak again. Nobody had ever affected her this much before and she knew she had to end it before someone got hurt.

"Emma, get out of the tub." Regina stated flatly and walked out of the bathroom, leaving a confused Emma behind. She returned moments later holding pajama shorts, a t-shirt and a fluffy towel.

Emma stepped out of the water, anticipating Regina to hand her the towel. Instead, Regina stepped behind her, unfolded the towel and wrapped it around the blonde's lean frame. She dried her off as Emma stood there silent, realizing just how much Regina cared about her. After she finished drying her off, Regina held out the shorts and crouched down. Emma put a hand on the brunette's shoulders as she stepped into one of the legs. Regina couldn't help but peer up at the blonde, naked and hovering over her. Emma smiled and they locked eyes, neither of them able to move.

After a few moments, Regina cleared her throat, indicating she needed to put her other leg into the shorts. Emma shuffled her body weight and then Regina slowly glided them up to her waist. Then she bunched up the shirt before sliding it over the blonde's head as she slipped her arms into it.

"Who knew it felt so good to have someone bathe you and help dress you?"

"Glad I could be of assistance, dear. Now follow me." Regina grabbed a hold of Emma's warm hand and led her to the guest bedroom. She sat her on the bed and pulled out a hairbrush before running it through the blonde's damp locks.

"Okay. Correction, who knew **_this_** could feel so good?" Emma laughed.

Regina decided it was her turn to have some fun. "If all it takes to make you feel good is some simple strokes through your hair, you must be pretty easy to please in bed."

Emma looked shocked that Regina was playing along and reciprocating her flirting. "I have a pretty good feeling that you'd be able to please me very, very easily, your majesty. With your delicate, careful touch, I'd be begging for more."

"Don't underestimate me, Miss Swan. Do remember that I'm also the Evil Queen and I'm not always so delicate."

"We shall see." Emma said as Regina placed the hairbrush down and began to loosely braid Emma's blonde tresses to keep them from getting in her way when she was lying down.

Regina finished tucking Emma in and said goodnight before making her way toward the bedroom door when Emma spoke out her name in a barely audible tone.

"Regina? Will you stay with me until I fall asleep?" Emma whispered.

Regina's heart fluttered and the butterfly sensation she thought only happened in movies was back again. She nodded and smiled before pulling back the covers behind Emma.

Neither of them said a word as Regina reached out and slipped her hand under Emma's shirt and began tracing imaginary circles over the entire surface of her back, remembering how good it felt when Emma did the exact same thing to her when they fell asleep together on the couch.

Regina's mind was thinking at a million miles a second as she began to question everything she knew. About herself. Her happiness. Her desires. Her future. But she knew it was only a matter of time before Emma regained her memory and went to move back in with Hook.

She continued rubbing Emma's back, even after she heard Emma's breathing become slow and heavy. She took comfort in knowing she helped the blonde fall asleep and couldn't come up with a good enough excuse to get up out of bed just yet when she knew this was where she belonged.

When her eyes felt too heavy to keep them open any longer, she found the strength to climb out of the bed and make her way down the hall into her own bed before falling asleep with thoughts of how perfect her day had been. She just wondered how long it would last before it all came crumbling down around her like it always did.


	14. Chapter Fourteen - Emma, Monday 9am

**_A/N: I'm away for the holiday weekend so I haven't been able to update as frequently. I wanted to get this chapter up ASAP so you all aren't kept waiting! The next chapter should be posted on Monday or Tuesday! Enjoy :) And as always, leave your feedback in the comments. They really do make my day every time!_**

* * *

The sunshine coming through the sheer blinds hit Emma's face and she squeezed her eyes shut, desperate to get a few more moments of sleep in before taking on the day. As thoughts of the night before came pouring into her mind, she remembered Regina helping her in the tub and how great it felt when she took care of her. For a brief moment, she remembered the day she showered with Killian and how he tried so hard to care for her but it paled in comparison to how phenomenal it felt when Regina was sliding the sponge over every inch of her. Well, almost every inch.

Emma reached out, hoping to find Regina still in bed next to her in the same position they laid in when they fell asleep the night before. When all she felt was a cold bed, she opened her eyes and groaned. She felt a pain in her chest when all her hope dissipated and she realized just how badly she wanted the brunette to be beside her in bed.

Emma took a moment to appreciate the plush carpet as her feet hit the floor and she pushed herself off the bed. She walked to the door then made her way down the hall to Regina's bedroom. She decided against knocking, just in case the woman was still asleep. Without a moment of hesitation, she turned the handle gently and stuck her head inside.

When she was met with the sight of a tidy room and perfectly made bed, her head bowed in disappointment. She listened for any sign of life in the house but all she heard was silence.

She ran down to the kitchen and filled a bowl up with some Lucky Charms that she found in the pantry. As she poured the milk, the sound of Regina clearing her throat made Emma jump out of her seat. "Oh, you're home! I figured you were out. Where is Henry?"

"It's Monday, Miss Swan. He's a fifteen-year-old boy and he's at school. I was doing some work in my study and heard you come down. I have some work to get done today so I'll leave you to your sugary, disgusting breakfast. I'll be in my office if you need anything." Regina stated flatly and walked out of the kitchen.

Emma quickly scarfed down the rest of her cereal, then headed back upstairs to change. She was feeling much better today and decided she was tired of sweatpants. She took a quick shower, then brushed her teeth and threw on a pair of skinny jeans and a simple v-neck T-shirt. She ran her fingers through her hair as she hit it with the blow dryer for a few moments then pinned it half up in a clip. After some finishing touches and a bit of sheer pink tinted lip balm, she made her way back downstairs, eager to spend more time with Regina.

* * *

"Oh, you're dressed. Do you have any big plans today?" Regina laughed.

Emma shook her head. "Nope! Just tired of wearing sweatpants and I felt much better when I woke up today. Must have been from the spell you did yesterday. Or your excellent bath-giving skills." Emma smirked and Regina jut ignored her comment and continued working.

Emma looked down as she twiddled her thumbs. "Do you mind if I sit in here with you? I promise I won't bother you too much. I just like your company." Emma smiled, hopeful that Regina wouldn't turn her down.

"I'll tell you what. How about you go make me a cup of coffee and then you can come back and sit with me?" Regina raised her eyebrow.

"You've got it, Madam Mayor!" Emma ran out of the room and into the kitchen. She fumbled with the coffee machine until it began brewing. She poured two cups then realized she already remembered exactly how Regina took her coffee, but wasn't quite sure how that was possible.

"Here you go, your majesty." Emma made her way back into the study and set Regina's mug down in front of her. "Coffee with a splash of vanilla creamer and one sugar. Don't ask me how I know that. Because I couldn't tell you, even if I tried." She shrugged her shoulders but let out a small grin before bringing her own cup of coffee to her lips and let the beverage warm her throat as she swallowed, never taking her eyes of the woman in front of her who was hard at work.

Minutes of silence passed and Emma continued to just watch and admire the brunette as she worked, dedication and focus all over her face. Emma took note of the way Regina bit her bottom lip as she filled out paperwork.

"Miss Swan, do you plan to stare at me all day long? That seems like a tremendous waste of your time."

"It seems like great use of my time actually. Besides, where else do I have to be? And I get a kick out of watching the way you bite your lip when you're writing."

Regina shook her head, unsure why she still was so fazed by the blonde's bluntness. "Well then, by all means... keep staring."

"Can I ask you something?" Emma said flatly.

"Hmm?" Regina mumbled but didn't look up from her papers.

"Can you tell me a story?"

Regina dropped her pen and looked up. "Emma, Henry will be home from school soon and he can read stories to you."

"No, I don't mean that kind of story. Can you tell me something about you? Something that's not in the story book? Tell me about your childhood."

Regina stood up and pushed her chair out from the desk. Emma remained seated on her chair in the corner of her office. Regina walked around the desk and leaned back until her lower back made contact with the desk frame and she crossed one leg over the other. Emma refused to take her eyes off her.

Regina cleared her throat. "I had a horse named Rocinante. He was beautiful, loyal and most of all - fast. Perhaps the most incredible steed I've ever had the chance to ride. Every day I dreamed of just packing a bag, hoping on Rocinante, and running away."

Emma kept her eyes on Regina but didn't say a word, urging her to continue.

"Henry's story book can tell you all about the terrible things I've done in my past. And believe me, I've done my fair share of horrible things to other people. But what the book fails to tell you is what made me that way." She paused and swallowed. "My mother always wanted me to be a queen. She named me Regina for that very reason, it's Latin for queen. But she never took into consideration what I wanted. My mother had magic just like you and I do. And I hated it. No, I despised it. I vowed to never use magic because I didn't want to end up like her. Obviously, things changed." Her voice trailed off.

"What did your mother do that made you hate magic so much?" Emma asked, genuinely curious and intrigued to learn more.

"I had no say over the way my life was. My opinions and desires didn't matter. If it wasn't something my mother didn't agree with, it couldn't happen. She would put up barrier spells so I couldn't leave our land and she would humiliate me with her magic and punish me in the most unfathomable ways. Part of me believed she didn't truly love me, I was just a pawn in her game. And I found out a few years ago when she came to Storybrooke that I was right. She didn't love me, because she ripped out her own heart long before I was even born."

Emma's eyes went wide at the thought of someone ripping out their own heart. "You can do that? Rip out hearts?" She swallowed nervously, suddenly feeling her palms begin to clam up.

"Yes." Regina bowed her head, unsure if she should be explaining this to Emma in her state of mind. But when Emma kept her eyes glued on her, she continued. "I can rip out hearts and use them to control the person against their will. Or I can crush it and kill them. I'm not proud of the things I've done, Emma."

Emma felt a bead of sweat form on her forehead. She wasn't sure whether she was supposed to feel afraid, nervous, or heartbroken for the woman in front of her.

"When I was younger, we had a stable boy. His name was Daniel. And we fell in love and I can't remember a time when I've been as happy as I was when I was with him." Regina paused as her voice hitched in her throat. Emma stood up and slid over to Regina's side. She rested her hand on her shoulder and brushed her thumb back and forth, feeling the brunette's silky button down blouse under her fingertip. When they locked eyes, Emma saw the pain behind Regina's dark brown orbs.

"What happened to him?" Emma whispered, unsure if she wanted to hear the answer she already knew in the back of her mind.

"My mother found out our plans to run away together. She ripped out his heart and crushed it right in front of me." The brunette's voice cracked as she choked on her words. She shifted her gaze down to the floor but Emma's hand reached out and grabbed her under her chin, forcing the brunette to keep her eyes on the blonde.

"Don't pull away, Regina. You don't have to be afraid. You're the strongest woman I know. I'm here."

Regina nodded and when her dark eyes locked with Emma's green eyes, she let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. Her chest felt tight, yet she knew she was safe with Emma by her side.

"How did your mom find out about Daniel?"

Emma watched Regina's eyes grow dark. "Your mother has a a big mouth." She spat the words out and Emma felt the sting.

"Oh. I'm sorry, Regina. If it were up to me, I would go back in time and change everything I can to ensure you find your happiness."

Regina felt her stomach flutter again in a way she didn't know could happen. "Thank you. I know you had a rough upbringing as well and I know I am partially to blame for that. But I wouldn't change my decisions because if I didn't cast the curse, I wouldn't have had Henry. Or you. I know that's selfish of me to say." Her gaze shifted to the floor.

"It's okay to be selfish. You did what you thought would make you happy. You should always do what makes you happy, Regina." She smiled sweetly at the brunette.

"Well, if that's the case. Then there is something I need to do." Regina's voice quickly switched from soft and broken to stern as the words came out of her mouth.

Emma looked at the brunette in front of her and cocked her head. "And what might that be, your maj- ". Before Emma could finish her sentence, Regina's lips crashed against hers.

Emma's eyes fluttered shut as the feel of Regina's soft, warm lips meshed against hers. She let out a moan as the brunette deepened the kiss and brushed her tongue against Emma's parted lips, begging for entrance. Emma opened her mouth and as their tongues danced together, she snaked her arms around the brunette's back then lifted her onto the desk in one swift motion.

Their lips never broke contact as Regina's hands traveled up and down Emma's slender body, exploring her curves with one hand while the other was tangled in the blonde's wavy tresses. Regina wrapped her legs around Emma and pulled her body closer. Emma's hands left the brunette's hips and traveled up to the buttons on her blouse, slowly popping one button off at a time.

After undoing the final button, Emma reached up to Regina's shoulders to push the blouse off completely. She peeled her lips away from Regina's, eager to take in the sight of the bare olive skin in front of her and show the brunette what she deserved.

Her gaze moved quickly. Admiring the brunette's slightly swollen, red lips, as well as the sight of her sitting on the desk with only a black lace bra covering her large breasts. The sight of cleavage spilling out from the top of the bra made Emma's heart race even faster. She yanked her own shirt over her head and smiled as she watched Regina take in the sight of her.

"Like what you see, your majesty?"

Regina nodded and slid her hands over Emma's bare skin before making her way to her back to unclip Emma's white bra. Emma assisted her and glided the straps off her shoulders, letting the bra fall to the floor.

Regina yanked the blonde closer to her and their lips were together again. Emma slid the black straps off Regina's tan shoulders then quickly unclipped the bra clasp with the other hand. She looked down at the sight, admiring her swollen breasts for a moment before her lips pressed against Regina's neck.

A gasp escaped Regina's lips and Emma smiled knowing it was because of her mouth. She kissed a trail down to her collarbone and felt the heat pool in her core as a loud breathy moan escaped through the brunette's parted lips and her head rolled back in pleasure.

Just as Emma continued to trail mouthy kisses toward the brunette's swollen breast, Regina grabbed the blonde's shoulders.

"Oh god, Emma. Stop!"

Emma broke her mouth's contact with the curve of Regina's breast and looked up at the panicked brunette in confusion.

"It's 2:58! Henry will be home from school any second. Get dressed!"

The brunette pushed a very frustrated Emma off as she buttoned up her shirt. Emma groaned loudly but followed suit and clipped her bra and threw her shirt over her head.

"We'll pick this up where we left off. Tonight." Emma winked and grabbed her coffee mug and walked out of the study.


	15. Chapter Fifteen - Regina, Monday 3pm

Just as Regina finished tucking her blouse into her slacks, she heard the front door open. She combed her hands through her hair then made her way into the kitchen and placed her empty coffee mug in the sink and rinsed it out quickly.

"Hey, Mom!" Regina turned toward the direction of her son and smiled, hoping to hide any evidence of what had just happened in her office.

"Hi, Henry! How was your day at school?"

"It was AWESOME! My new physics teacher is so cool and we started this experiment today in lab —". Henry stopped his sentence short and glanced at his mother, cocking his head to the side. "Hey Mom, did you know you have some of your lipstick smudged down on your jawline?" Henry brought his hand up to his own jaw and made a sweeping motion to mirror the spot where the lipstick smudge was showing on his mother's face.

Regina felt her pulse quicken, rushing to find an excuse for why lipstick would get on her jaw. When her mind came up blank, she simply shrugged her shoulders. "Wow, no clue how that got there. I must've brushed my hand against my lips and then touched my face while I was doing paperwork," she stated calmly, hoping her son wouldn't get suspicious. She licked her thumb then brushed it over the spot Henry gestured at earlier. "Is it gone?" She asked and Henry nodded.

"Is what gone?" Emma asked as she skipped into the kitchen. She smiled at Henry and wrapped her arms around him.

Henry peered up to look at Emma. "Oh nothing, Mom just had some lipstick smudged but she got it off."

Regina locked eyes with Emma, praying the blonde wouldn't say anything inappropriate or give away their actions. "Hmm, so how was school, kid?"

Regina smiled at Emma who winked at her in return as soon as Henry's gaze moved away from both of his moms so he could pull out a chair. He told them about his day and both women listened and smiled, genuinely interested in hearing about his day at school.

As soon as he finished, Emma cut in. "Hey, I have an idea. Why don't we all go out for dinner tonight?"

Regina smiled, immediately liking the idea. "That sounds like a wonderful idea. Maybe just a casual dinner at Granny's?"

Henry shook his head. "I have a big project due tomorrow that I need to finish so can we take a rain check? Or better yet, why don't the two of you go out tonight and then tomorrow we can spend the day together when I get out of school. Maybe we can even invite grandma and grandpa along? I miss them." He glanced in Emma's direction, posing the question to her.

"I like the way you think, kid. Regina, are you okay with it being just us two?"

"Henry, are you sure you're okay staying home alone?"

"Oh, come on, Mom. I'm fifteen and perfectly able to take care of myself. How about you and Emma go somewhere nicer for dinner though and we can do Granny's tomorrow?" He smiled and winked at Regina who knew exactly what he was implying.

Regina blushed, knowing her son was routing for her and Emma to one day get together. She smiled and agreed that a nice dinner would be a good idea.

* * *

 ** _Monday at 7:30 pm_**

After trying on nearly every outfit in her closet and finally settling on a navy blue dress with gold details, she slipped on gold heels, fluffed her hair in the mirror then made her way down to the guest room to see if Emma was ready to go. When she saw the door was still closed, she made her way down to Henry's bedroom instead.

"How is your project coming along?" She asked as she crossed through the doorway.

"Just want to make sure it's perfect but it's almost done." He looked up and turned to face his mom. "Wow, Mom. You look awesome! If this doesn't impress Emma, then I don't know what would."

"Henry, that's inappropriate to say to your mother. I'm not trying to impress her. She knows who I am and she is just my friend, like I said." She felt bad lying to her son, especially since she spent so much time picking out the perfect outfit with just that in mind... how can she impress Emma? "But I'm glad I have your stamp of approval."

She told him there were leftovers in the fridge for him and to call if he needed anything. He nodded and assured her that he would be fine before she made her way down the stairs, waiting for the blonde.

Ten minutes later, Emma descended down the stairway and Regina felt her heart race. Emma was wearing a skintight black dress with a lace overlay and strappy black stilettos. Her blonde locks were curled and fell loosely over her shoulders.

"Well don't you clean up nice, Miss Swan?"

"You're one to talk. Although we both know you know how to look perfect at all times."

Regina blushed and couldn't help but smile. She grabbed the keys to her Mercedes then opened the door, gesturing for Emma to walk out first.

* * *

"Want to split a dessert before we get the bill?" Emma asked.

Regina wasn't sure if Emma was still hungry or if it was just an attempt the prolong their dinner. She glanced at the watch on her wrist. "It's only 9:00. Henry is probably still awake so how about we go to the bar down the street and get a drink or two before we head home?"

Emma smiled and nodded. "Ah, I see. You want to make sure Henry is asleep before we get home because you know what I plan to do to you." She kinked her eyebrow.

Regina gulped, unable to form a sentence.

"I love when I leave you speechless, your majesty." Emma whispered and Regina nearly jumped when she felt Emma place a hand on her knee, slowly crawling her fingers up her thigh. When Emma pulled away, Regina realized just how desperately she wished they were somewhere private so she could have her way with the blonde.

Regina cleared her throat and gestured for the waiter to bring the check. She signed the bill then looked up at Emma. "Let's get out of here. I need a drink."

Emma laughed and followed Regina down the street and into the bar.

"Can I get a vodka tonic with a lime?" Regina yelled to the bartender before he nodded and looked at Emma.

"Two tequila shots!" Emma ordered and the bartender walked away before Regina could object.

"Really, Miss Swan? You couldn't just have a simple drink before we head out, you had to order shots?"

Emma ignored Regina and raised her eyebrow when the bartender returned and slammed the two shots on the bar top. "Bottoms up, your majesty."

Regina rolled her eyes before throwing the shot back, allowing the warm liquor to calm her nerves a bit.

Emma ordered a rum and coke for herself and the two women gulped down their drinks. Then after another round of tequila shots, Regina thought she heard wrong when she heard Emma command, "Come on. Let's dance!"

"Excuse me?" Regina cleared her throat and threw back her shot.

"You heard me. Come on..." Before Regina could protest, Emma grabbed her hand and yanked the brunette off the barstool and out to the dance floor.

As soon as Regina felt the blonde grind her hips against her, a rush of adrenaline took over and she grabbed ahold of Emma's hips, praying she'd never stop. With the sensation overwhelming her, she closed her eyes as Emma began grinding harder into her and swaying her hips to the beat of the music.

When she opened her eyes again, she looked around and saw everyone's eyes were on them at the bar. She couldn't tell what was going through their heads, but she didn't care. Until she made eye contact with someone she immediately recognized: Hook. Regina gulped and spun Emma around.

"Emma, your boyfriend is walking over here."

Emma laughed and shrugged her shoulders, leaning closer to grind the front of her against Regina. But when she heard Hook clear his throat, Emma spun on her heel to face him and stopped dancing.

"Oh. Killian... hi!" A drunk Emma stuttered and smiled.

"As much as I'm enjoying the view, may I cut in and steal a dance, love?" Hook asked, doing his best to charm Emma with his grin.

"Um, that does sound like a nice offer. But I already have a dancing partner... One who is doing a fantastic job killing it on the dance floor, might I add?" Emma laughed and winked at Regina, who saw Hook's face fall.

"Swan, please. One dance?" He whispered loud enough for only her and Regina to hear and reached out to grab her hand. A ping of guilt coursed through Regina as she realized she shouldn't have brought Emma to the bar, but she brushed it off quickly, remembering it was Emma's idea to dance.

Emma groaned a bit louder than Regina wished she would've done out loud. "Okay, one dance. That's it."

Emma danced against Hook, who couldn't contain the happiness on his face. Regina just stood there in the middle of the dance floor, unsure if she should move. When she couldn't watch any longer, she began to walk back toward a vacant bar stool. But when she began to walk away, she heard Emma yelling.

"Killian. I said one dance. I didn't say you could feel me up and start letting your hands wander under my dress!" Emma screamed, suddenly making a scene.

"I'm sorry. I just can't help myself. You're finally here and looking like this and agreed to dance with me and you're clearly intoxicated. How can I control myself?" He protested.

Emma rolled her eyes. "Just because you can't control yourself doesn't mean that should be my problem. Leave me alone." She pushed him off as he continued to inch closer to her.

He ignored her and placed a hand on her hip. "Swan, please. I need you."

"Killian. I said no! Leave. Me. Alone."

Regina stepped in before Hook had a chance to respond. "If she said no, please respect her wishes and leave her alone."

"But she's MY girlfriend. I should be able to dance with her and touch her however I'd like!" His temper grew and Regina could smell the rum radiating off of him and her nostrils flared, raging at the thought of the words that just left his mouth.

Before Regina said another word, Emma jumped in between the two of them and Hook reached out again to grab her. "Swan... just come home with me."

Emma couldn't help but laugh hysterically. "The only person taking me home is Regina and I think it's time for you to go." She commanded, suddenly sounding a lot more sober and serious than she had sounded minutes earlier.

"You're just drunk and don't remember me. Let me show you a good time - ". Before he could finish his sentence, Emma's rage was put on full display as she threw him across the room with her magic. He crumbled into the corner of the dance floor.

"Emma!" Regina screamed. "What were you thinking?"

"I - I. I didn't know I could even do that. I didn't mean to. He just wouldn't stop!" She ran over to help Hook stand up. "I'm sorry, I can't control my magic. I didn't mean to do that. But you're just not what I want and you need to leave me alone. Okay?"

"What are you saying?" Hook asked, doing his best to sound like an innocent puppy dog who did nothing wrong.

"I'm saying that you will never, ever pull that shit again, do you hear me? And we are over! Go harass someone else."

"Swan, you're just saying that because you don't have your memory. I'm sorry for crossing any lines."

"I don't need my memories back to recognize my feelings. You aren't what I want or need and you need to leave me alone. Whether I was happy with you or not before, I'm not anymore so please, for the love of god, just leave me alone. I was probably only with you in the first place because it was convenient and I felt bad for you since you're always pining over me like I'm some object that needs to be won. Well guess what, I'm not!"

Hook bowed his head, unable to figure out what to say. Instead he stumbled out of the bar, his disappointment and drunkenness on full display.

"Regina, I think I need another shot."

"Emma, is that really the best idea right now? How about we just go home? It's getting late." Regina glanced at her watch and gestured toward the door.

"Oh! I know what you're rushing to get home to!" Emma kinked her eyebrow and Regina felt shivers rush up and down her spine, hoping her arousal wasn't too evident.

"Wow, you blush _wayyyy_ too easily. You're lucky it turns me on so much knowing I have that effect on you. Let's go." Emma grabbed her hand and dialed the number for a cab before she even walked out the door.

* * *

The second the front door shut behind them, Emma shoved Regina up against the living room wall and crashed her lips against Regina's, who let out a moan of appreciation. Emma used one hand to pin Regina's arms above her head as she depended the kiss.

As their tongues wrestled against another, Emma's hands began roaming over Regina's tight blue dress, dying to see and feel what's underneath.

Regina broke their kiss and her lips made contact with the blonde's collarbone. The noises that escaped Emma's lips made heat pool to Regina's center and she felt her heart begin to race.

"Miss Swan, Henry is asleep upstairs. Do try to keep it down."

Emma shook her head and smiled. "No can do, your majesty. I can't control the sounds that escape my body when your mouth is on me." Regina shot her a look. "Don't blame me, blame your mouth!"

Regina laughed then yanked the blonde into her study. She lifted both hands and Emma watched in confusion.

"There. A sound barrier spell. Now you can be as loud as you'd like. Happy, princess?" She laughed and crashed her mouth against Emma's before the blonde had a chance to respond. Emma couldn't control her moans as Regina pressed her mouth to Emma's neck.

With every moan and whimper that escaped Emma's mouth, Regina's arousal grew. She was dying to show Emma just how incredible she could make her feel.

Emma took control and lifted Regina up onto her desk. "I told you we'd pick up where we'd left off so why not put you in the same spot?" Emma whispered and Regina's breath hitched in her throat after hearing the sound of Emma's arousal in her deep, throaty whisper. She wrapped her legs tightly around Emma's body as the bottom of her dress hiked further up her thigh.

Emma pressed herself up against Regina and dropped her hand to Regina's thigh, caressing it in small circles as slowly as possible.

"Miss Swan, don't tease me. I can assure you, it won't end well for you."

Emma took that as a challenge, slowly gliding her fingers up and down the inside of Regina's smooth thigh. "You have the softest skin. I can't wait to feel it against my lips."

Regina swallowed, her center pooling with wetness at the sound of the blonde's words.

Emma leaned her head in, her mouth inches away from Regina's right ear and Regina felt her warm breath against her earlobe. Emma's fingers slid up further and when they brushed against Regina's soaked panties, she pressed her lip to Regina's ear. "I especially can't wait to taste you here."

Regina's heart felt like it was going to jump out of her chest at that moment. Before she could even think rationally, she grabbed Emma and flipped them so Emma was pinned down on the desk. "I told you not to tease me, dear. I give the orders, remember?" She crashed her lips down onto Emma's neck and smirked when she heard the moans escape the blonde's mouth in appreciation.

She slid the straps of Emma's dress off her sleeves and yanked the dress down until her chest was exposed. After taking a nipple into her mouth and moaning against Emma's warm skin, she brought her hand between Emma's legs, eager to hear the noises the blonde would make once her hand came in contact with her center.

Instead of Emma gasping when Regina's fingertips grazed over her clit, it was Regina who gasped.

Emma shifted her weight and propped herself up onto her elbows. "Oops, did I forget my panties? My bad." Emma smirked and admired the look of shock and arousal as she locked eyes with the brunette.

Regina could no longer contain herself as she slid two fingers deep inside Emma in the same moment that her mouth came back into contact with her exposed nipple. Regina was certain that the feeling of Emma's soaked pussy pulsing against her fingers was the hottest thing she had ever felt. They both moaned in appreciation as Regina continued pumping her fingers in and out of the blonde who was coming undone underneath her.

She brushed her thumb lightly over Emma's clit and slowly rubbed it in a circular motion as her fingers continued their rhythm. Emma's moans grew louder and louder and Regina increased the pressure on her clit as she continued to rub in circles.

"Mmm. Don't stop. Please don't stop." Emma breathed between moans.

Regina's mouth traveled to the blonde's collarbone and kissed a trail to her neck. She alternated between kissing, sucking and biting as she felt Emma's walls tighten around her fingers and her body arch off the desk as her orgasm crashed in waves throughout her body.

As Emma's breathing began to return to normal, Regina continued kissing her softly and running her fingers through her hair.

Regina gasped as Emma flipped them both over and trailed her way up Regina's thigh with open mouthed kisses. The sounds that escaped her throat as Emma's tongue came in contact with her soaked center caused Emma to smile and Regina blushed, unaware she could even produce sounds like that. She arched her back against the desk and combed Emma's blonde hair out of the way as she continued lapping her tongue over the brunette's clit, slowly but firmly.

Regina opened her mouth to say something but all that came out was a jumbled sentence and she could tell Emma was enjoying making her feel so out of control. Emma slid two fingers inside of her and her tongue quickened against her clit, lapping up her increasing wetness.

Regina nearly screamed as her orgasm built inside of her. "Emma!" was all that she could say as the intensity hit her and she threw her head back, never realizing she could feel this good.

Emma interlaced her fingers with Regina's as she came down from her high, smiling at the sight of the brunette coming undone.

When Regina's eyes fluttered open, her dark brown eyes locked with Emma's green eyes and neither dared to look away, afraid to ruin this moment.


	16. Chapter Sixteen - Emma, Tuesday 12pm

Emma pushed open the door to Regina's study and was surprised when it was empty. She called out for the brunette but heard nothing but silence in return. She plopped herself down onto the couch and flipped through the channels in search of something to keep her entertained, but her mind kept going back to the brunette and all the vivid memories that were playing on repeat of the night before.

"Oh, there you are. Where did you go?" Emma asked the moment Regina came through the front door.

"I had to go get my car from the restaurant parking lot. We took a cab home last night because someone thought it would be a good idea to order tequila shots."

"Tequila shots are always a good idea." Emma said with a nod.

"Oh yeah? Tell that to my throbbing head." Regina snapped back with a straight face as she rubbed at her temple.

"Or perhaps you're just a lightweight and can't handle your liquor?" Emma teased. "So about last night... does this mean we - "

"There is no 'we', Miss Swan. In fact, the whole night was a mistake so let's just pretend it didn't happen and never mention it again." Regina spat back before Emma could finish her sentence.

Emma felt the sting and felt like someone had slapped her. She felt like she was going to be sick. Thoughts raced through her mind thinking she finally got what she wanted - her chance at happiness - and now Regina was pretending it meant nothing. The knot in her stomach caused her to clench her hand into a fist. "Regina. Don't do this. Don't push me away."

Instead of answering, Regina walked out of the living room without even glancing back at the blonde and into her study. Emma stood and followed her, feeling like a desperate puppy dog. She went to reach for the doorknob and groaned loudly when she realized Regina locked it. The knot in her stomach traveled to her chest and she felt like she was going to cry or scream, but she knew neither of these actions would help her get what she wanted because what she wanted was locked behind the thick door in front of her.

She dragged her feet behind her in the direction of the living room, plopped herself on the couch and hugged her knees to her chest.

* * *

When Henry pushed open the front door hours later, Emma's eyes snapped away from the TV as her son made his way into the living room and sat down beside her, dropping his backpack on the ground beside the couch.

"Hey, Mom. What are you watching?"

"Huh? Oh, just watched a few episodes of How I Met Your Mother to pass the time." She smiled but Henry could tell her mind was elsewhere.

"What's wrong? You seem distracted." Henry quizzed and furrowed his brow.

"Nothing's wrong, Henry." Emma brushed him off, trying to keep her eyes on the television. She was grateful she was the one with the lying superpower and it wasn't passed down to her son.

"Okay, if you say so. Where's Mom? When I saw her this morning before school, she couldn't stop smiling. I take it you two had a good night?"

Emma pursed her lips and shrugged. "Yeah, kid. We did. But she's in her study, she's been working all day. She hasn't come out since noon."

"Mom, I know my mom is a little closed off but I promise if she's being distant, it's just because she's afraid. Don't worry, you two will work it out."

"I'm not sure what you're talking about, kid," Emma lied. "There's nothing for us to work out and she's not being distant. She's just been busy working."

"Whatever you say, Mom." Henry let out a breath and rubbed Emma's shoulder. "You're almost as stubborn as she is. But I think she has you beat. Anyway, we need to go get her soon because we are going to Granny's for dinner, remember? I already called Grandpa and they are meeting us there at 5 because Mary Margaret has to stay late at school and finish grading some papers. We should probably walk over at 4:45."

Emma nodded and said she would go freshen up. She walked into the guest room, locking the door behind her and let out a frustrated groan.

Regina didn't come out of her study until a quarter to five on the dot. "Are we ready to go?"

Emma rolled her eyes, annoyed that the woman ignored her all day and the first thing that escaped her mouth was that question. Emma nodded and didn't say a word and Henry glanced between his mothers in confusion before making his way out the door.

The three of them walked into the diner and Henry spotted David and Mary Margaret saving them the corner booth. Emma sat down beside them, still feeling a little tense in their presence but knowing she didn't want to share her side of the booth with Regina. Henry slid in first and Regina plopped down in front of Emma but refused to make eye contact.

Ruby approached their table to take their drink orders and asked Emma how she was feeling.

"Oh, I'm feeling better. No more dizzy spells or anything. I just still don't remember anything but the doctor said it could take time so I'm just trying to handle this one day at a time until it all comes back to me."

Snow and David smiled at their daughter, happy to hear she was doing well.

The group continued to engage in small talk and Henry talked about school until Ruby came to take their food orders. After they gave their orders and Regina asked for another root beer, she excused herself from the table, announcing she had to run to the bathroom.

The others nodded and Emma watched as Regina walked away toward the back of the diner. She mumbled inaudibly that she'd be right back then pushed herself up out of the booth and followed Regina into the bathroom, knowing now might be her only chance to get the brunette to talk to her.

Regina turned her head as she heard Emma close the door and lock it behind her. "Miss Swan, what on earth are you doing?"

"If this is the only way I can get you to talk to me, then so be it. But we need to talk and you can't keep ignoring me."

"I think I made myself clear earlier, Miss Swan."

"Really, Regina? Don't call me that, not after everything we've been through!"

"I just want to forget that last night ever happened, okay?" Regina said flatly, a hint of anger seeping through in her tone as her misdemeanor began to crack.

"But it did happen. And you and I can deny it all we want, but it meant something to me and I have a very good feeling it meant something to you, too!"

"It meant nothing. So like I said, let's just drop it."

"Why are you doing this, Regina? Why are you pushing me away? I don't understand!"

Regina looked at her quizzingly, uncertain if she should answer.

"Regina..." Emma begged.

"Everyone I've ever loved is gone Emma, do you know that?" Regina screamed and Emma detected the sadness in her voice immediately. She didn't say a word, she just let the brunette continue.

"And every time I allow myself to get close to someone, I end up hurt in the end. I can't risk losing you or getting hurt and you'd be better off without me!"

Emma's heart broke at the sound of Regina's cracking voice. "I promise, Regina. I will never hurt you. I'm not going anywhere. You just need to open up to me. I'm here."

Emma waited in silence for what felt like an eternity waiting for the brunette to say something. But instead, Regina's eyes went dark again as she wiped away a stray tear. Then with the flick of her wrist, she unlocked the door. Emma jumped in front to block it but with another wrist flick, Emma was magically pushed aside and on the floor as Regina pushed the door open and stormed out of the diner, the sound of her heels echoing behind her.

Emma stood up and brushed off her jeans then followed in the brunette's footsteps in an attempt to catch up. She was almost at the front door when Henry grabbed her arm.

"Mom, she will be okay. Don't chase after her now, okay? We will bring her dinner home to her and you can talk to her tonight. I promise it will be okay."

Emma couldn't figure out how to form a sentence as she fought back tears, knowing her son was right. She nodded and crumbled down into the booth beside Henry as he reached out and squeezed her hand.


	17. Chapter Seventeen - Emma, Tuesday 10pm

Henry watched Emma as she slid the key into the front door and pushed the door open. Before they both walked inside the house, Henry reached for her hand again. "Don't worry, if she doesn't open up to you or want to talk tonight, it's probably just because she's afraid. It has nothing to do with you. She will come around."

"When did you get so wise, kid? Aren't you supposed to be an angsty, rebellious teenager?" Emma cocked her head to the side and crossed her arms.

"Between you and mom, there's enough angst to go around… we don't need any more of that from me."

"Touche, kid. C'mon. Let's get inside before Regina murders me for letting you stay out this late when you have school tomorrow. If she asks, I'm telling her it was your idea to order dessert." Emma winked and shuffled inside.

She watched Henry run upstairs toward his bedroom and Emma dragged her feet into the kitchen, carrying Regina's dinner. She placed the food in the fridge and tiptoed toward Regina's study, hoping to find her doing some late-night work. When she saw the lights were off, she sighed and continued checking the first floor in search of the brunette.

As she walked out of the living room, Emma felt her phone vibrate. She slid the phone out of the back pocket of her tight jeans. Henry's name glowed and she swiped to view the message.

"Mom's in her room... nightstand lamp is on. Maybe try to talk to her now? I'm rooting for you!"

Emma smiled at the message and slid her phone back into her pocket. She climbed the stairs two at a time toward the master bedroom.

She knocked lightly, praying to hear the familiar, authoritative voice telling her to come in.

When all she heard was silence, she gripped the doorknob and turned her wrist. When she felt the resistance of the handle, she slumped her shoulders and gripped the back of her neck.

"Regina, open up. I know you're in there I can see the light on." As soon as the words crossed her lips, Emma felt a wave of memories hit her. In her mind, Emma was transported back to another time when she was in a similar situation saying the same thing. She was outside Regina's office, turning the handle and calling out for the brunette.

* * *

 _~~ Two Years Ago ~~_

Emma wrestled with the locked door for a moment before speaking.

"Regina I know you're in there, I can see the lights on." Emma sighed and leaned one arm up against the locked door. "I know this is all complicated. You **can** have happiness. I know it doesn't seem like it, but you just have to fight."

The silence on the other end of the door continued, but Emma knew the other woman was listening. She looked away for a moment, debating whether or not she should keep fighting. Then she realized, of course she would keep fighting for Regina.

"Okay, if you won't then I will. Henry brought me to Storybrooke to bring back the happy endings. My jobs not done until I do that for everyone... including you."

She knew how stubborn Regina would be, but felt relieved knowing she came to tell her exactly what she intended to do to ensure her happiness. She frowned and slowly made her way out of the hallway of the mayor's office and left the building.

* * *

Emma squeezed her eyes shut, grateful for the memory but devastated for the brunette behind the door in front of her, knowing she had this tendency to always push away her chance at happiness.

She knocked lightly again. "Regina, please just talk to me. Or if you don't want to talk, at least let me in. I just remembered something and I really want to know you're okay."

She paused for another few moments, waiting for any type of response.

"Miss Swan, I'm fine. Just please go to bed." Emma made out Regina's muffled words through the door, but could also hear the disappointment in her tone.

"If you need me, you know where to find me," was all Emma said before sprinting down the hall and slamming the guest room door behind her. She slid her back down the closed door and bowed her head, fighting the tears that stung her eyes, begging for release. She picked herself up, went to the bathroom and washed her face with cold water to try and wash away the tears that began to fall.

After changing into nothing but an oversized T-shirt, she pulled back the sheets and climbed into bed.

Emma stared at the glowing numbers radiating off the clock on the nightstand as she continued to toss and turn. An hour passed since she came back into her bedroom and she felt the hope peeling away from her with each moment that passed. Quietly, Emma let the tears slip from her eyes again. This time she didn't try to fight them from coming as she admitted defeat.

Just when she felt sleepiness begin to take over her, Emma heard the sound of the doorknob turn. She squeezed her eyes shut, assuming it was Henry coming to check on her after hearing her cry. She did her best to pretend to be asleep.

When she heard footsteps approaching the bed, she continued facing the window and laid in silence. Then she smelled it – the light, clean scent of Regina's shampoo that always made Emma feel so content and happy around the older woman. Although she knew it wasn't Henry coming to check on her, Regina confirmed that as she pulled the covers down next to Emma.

Regina didn't say a word as she slowly slid into bed and inched her body up against Emma's. The blonde remained silent, unsure what to do at this moment. Did Regina think she was asleep? If she rolled over, would Regina get up and leave? She tried to keep her breathing steady despite the way her heart raced from the feel of the brunette's warm body against her back. Regina slipped one smooth leg between Emma's so they were intertwined and Emma felt her stomach flutter.

"I'm sorry, Emma. I'm sorry I'm too scared to admit this to you when you're awake. I feel like such a coward..." Regina's scared voice trailed off for a moment. "Everyone I love ends up dead and I don't deserve a happy ending. I've done too many horrible things to ever deserve it." Regina's voice was barely a whisper and Emma couldn't bear to hear the pain that radiated off the brunette with each word.

She opened her eyes and turned her head, locking her green eyes with Regina's dark brown eyes. She saw the sadness and the tears and could tell Regina had been crying.

"You deserve happiness, Regina. And I promised you I'd help you get it before and my promise still stands. I remember that day outside your office. I know you heard me then but I want to remind you now — I refuse to give up fighting for your happy ending. I just wish you wouldn't push me away." Emma dropped her gaze.

"You - you remember?"

Emma nodded. "Just that one memory came to me when I was trying to get into your bedroom."

Regina's walls crumbled around her as the tears began to fall and the soft sobs escaped her lips.

"Shh." Emma repeated, trying to soothe the other woman. She wrapped her arms around her and pulled her in closer. Regina tucked her head into the crock of Emma's neck as she clutched onto the blonde's shirt and continued sobbing.

Emma let her cry as her hands wandered to Regina's back and she traced large circles with the tips of her fingers over the material of Regina's silk pajama top.

"I don't want to lose you," escaped Regina's lips.

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm not letting you push me away. I'm here." Emma reassured her and continued rubbing her back.

Regina peeked her head up and looked at Emma. "I want to believe you. I do. I'm just afraid to risk everything I have with you."

"Don't be afraid. I'm not leaving. I don't care how hard you try to resist, you mean too much to me to give up fighting." Emma said firmly as her hand slid further down her back and began wandering over Regina's exposed hip bone.

Regina sighed and kept her eyes locked with Emma's. "You aren't supposed to be taking care of me."

"Nothing makes me happier than taking care of you." Emma smiled hopefully at the brunette who let a small grin form on her lips despite the sadness that lingered in her eyes.

Regina wiggled her body closer to Emma's and before either of them realized what was happening, Regina pressed her lips to Emma's. It wasn't like the last time they kissed. This time, Emma felt a need from Regina that screamed how much Regina truly cared for her and Emma couldn't think of anything else that could make her happier than the way this felt.

What started out as a soft, delicate kiss grew more intense and Emma's eyes fluttered closed as the feeling of Regina's warm tongue running against her bottom lip caused her to part her lips and grant access. Their tongues danced together and Emma's hand gripped Regina's hip bone in attempt to never let the brunette go.

Regina broke the kiss and Emma stared into her eyes for a few moments then watched Regina glide her silk pajama top over her head in one swift motion.

The sight of Regina's exposed breasts on display in front of her and Regina's smoldering gaze as she bit down on her bottom lip made Emma's heart rate sky rocket. She leaned in and as soon as her mouth made contact with the dip between Regina's neck and collarbone, the brunette let out a deep moan in appreciation that sent chills rushing down Emma's sides.

Emma broke contact with Regina's bare skin and the brunette tugged at the hem of Emma's T-shirt before slipping it over her head and tossing it to the floor.

Regina flipped Emma over so she could take control, trailing kisses over Emma's jawline and down her neck, causing soft moans to escape Emma's parted lips.

Emma's whimpers and moans grew as Regina pressed her body flush against her and began grinding her hips rhythmically. With each slow swivel of Regina's hips, Emma's desire grew and her center pulsed in anticipation. Emma reached out with one hand and interlaced her fingers with Regina's.

Regina drew the tip of Emma's hardened nipple into her warm mouth, alternating between light flicks of her tongue and the occasional nibble.

"Mmm Regina. Please."

"Not yet. I'm enjoying hearing you beg way too much." Regina let out a toothy grin and kinked an eyebrow at a very flustered Emma lying underneath her.

Emma didn't hesitate as she gripped the brunette's hips with both hands and flipped her over, taking advantage of her own strength. Regina gasped as Emma bent down and let her tongue glide down over the length of Regina's toned stomach. She palmed one breast then took Regina's hardened nipple between her fingertips as her tongue continued making its way down Regina's body toward her center.

Emma slipped her fingers under the silk hem of Regina's pajama shorts and slid them down slowly while Regina lifted her hips to assist.

Emma trailed kisses up her tanned leg and when she was frustratingly close to Regina's clit, she looked up and saw Regina's eyes on her, full of hunger and desire.

Emma made her way back up and placed a soft kiss on Regina's mouth then made her way to her neck again as her fingertips grazed down and traced lightly up and down the woman's inner thigh.

"Miss Swan, please stop teasing me."

"I'm enjoying watching you squirm, your majesty." Emma winked before her fingers grazed over Regina's soaked folds. Her wetness made Emma crave the brunette even more as she continued rubbing up and down, spreading out Regina's wetness and enjoying the feeling of it on her fingertips.

Emma slipped one finger inside her and Regina's head fell back into the pillow as her back arched slightly off the bed.

She slid another finger deep inside her, feeling the warmth of her clenched walls around her fingers with each slow thrust. She kissed and nibbled her way down to Regina's center, letting her long hair tease the brunette's stomach, and when her tongue finally made contact with the brunette's clit, Emma couldn't help but hold back her own moans of appreciation for the way she tasted.

She swirled her tongue in circles, rhythmically causing Regina to squirm with each movement. Emma wiggled her fingers deep inside Regina and she smiled when Regina's breath became unsteady as she began to come undone.

With every flick of her tongue and thrust of her fingers came another loud moan from the brunette. Emma knew right then just how much she craved this. Not just Regina, but knowing she could make her feel this way and cause her so much pleasure.

Regina's raised her hips off the bed and Emma knew she was close. She felt her walls tightening around her fingers once again and Emma couldn't contain the flutter in her stomach over the sounds escaping the brunette's lips. All she could make out of Regina's sounds was many breathy "Emma"s and a bunch of mumbled words strung together that made the blonde even more eager to please.

Regina bunched up the sheet under her hand as she curled her hand into a fist. Her stomach muscles tightened and she couldn't contain the moans flowing out of her mouth as her body trembled.

As she came down from her high, Emma slid her fingers out but kept lapping her tongue over Regina's clit slowly until her breathing began to slow.

Emma trailed her way back up and planted a kiss on Regina's forehead and ran her fingers through the brunette's hair.

They locked eyes as they laid side by side and Emma grinned at the look of bliss on Regina's face.

As soon as Regina calme down, she lifted her hand to cup Emma's bare breast. When Regina took her nipple and rolled her fingertips over the sensitive bud, Emma let out a soft moan. She sat up and straddled Regina, begging for a taste of her mouth against hers again.

Regina's light touches were tormenting the blonde and she grabbed Regina's hand and pushed it down until it came in contact with her center.

"Mmmm, you're so wet already." Regina breathed and Emma blushed.

With a nod of her head and desire in her eyes, Emma whispered in a deep throaty voice. "This is what you do to me."

"I know" is all Regina said as her fingers began to circle Emma's clit. Emma bit her tongue, fighting to hold back her moans.

"Don't hold back. I want to hear you."

Emma couldn't control herself anymore. The combination of Regina's fingertips circling her clit and the bossiness Regina still brought with her into the bedroom was too much for her.

"Regina, more. Please. How many times do I have to beg?" She said between breathy moans.

Regina slid two fingers deep inside the blonde and Emma buried her head into Regina's shoulder in an attempt to muffle the sounds escaping past her lips. When Regina brought her thumb up to circle Emma's clit, that's all it took for Emma to collapse at Regina's control and let her orgasm wash over her.

When Emma's eyes fluttered open, she noticed Regina's grin looked different than usual.

"What is it?" Emma asked, cocking her head to the side as her breathing began to return to normal.

"Nobody has ever made me feel like that before," Regina stated, unable to contain her grin.

Emma smiled back then leaned in and kissed the perfect woman in front of her. Emma pulled Regina up against her, lying back on the bed, and combed her fingers through her dark hair until they both drifted to sleep in each other's embrace.


	18. Chapter Eighteen - Emma, Wednesday 8am

_**A/N** : I apologize for the delay in posting this chapter. Things got really hectic the past few weeks and I haven't had much time to write this. I hope you think this chapter was worth the wait though. There will be two more chapters of the story after this so be sure to follow the story so you know when the final two chapters are posted or follow me on Tumblr for story updates: **courtneywoods**. Enjoy, and as always, comments are always appreciated with your feedback :) _

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Emma woke with a soft moan of frustration. "Ughhhh! Regina, you **seriously** need to get blackout blinds on these windows. The sun wakes me up every damn morning!" She opened her eyes, squinting as the sunlight pierced through to her her pupils.

"Regina?"

When all she heard was silence, Emma sat up and her eyes shot fully open. She glanced over and saw that the bed beside her was empty.

A groan rumbled in her throat as she clenched her pillow and pressed it against her face to muffle her sounds of frustration.

"Why the fuck does she always have to push me away? God damnit that woman is frustrating!" Emma screamed to the empty room and stomped out of bed. She decided against going to search the house for the brunette and made her way to the bathroom and jumped right into the shower.

As the warm water ran down her back, she began to relax and push her thoughts of Regina aside. She washed her hair and ran the sponge full of soap over her body then toweled off and stepped out.

She wiggled her tight jeans up over her hips and threw a flannel on over her white tank top. As she blow dried her hair, she saw Regina's reflection appear in the mirror. She rolled her eyes but couldn't help but notice that the woman was dressed to perfection like always in a tight black elegant work dress that did her body justice.

"Why are you awake so early?" Regina questioned, cocking her head to one side as a smile appeared on her face.

Emma kept the blow dryer running as she mumbled her answer. "Because the damn sunlight comes through your blinds every morning and wakes me up." Emma growled, before she continued mumbling. "The real question is why I woke up alone this morning."

Emma turned off the blow dryer and let it fall to the floor before turning on her heel to come face to face with Regina.

"Did you not hear me last night, Regina? I told you that I'm not going anywhere so why do you keep pushing me away?"

"I heard you, dear. And I'm not pushing you away."

The calmness in Regina's tone just further irritated Emma. She stomped over until she was inches away from Regina. "It sure as hell feels like it! You refuse to open up to me unless it's in the middle of the night or you're feeling lonely and then I have to deal with the pain of waking up without you next to me. Do you have any idea how that feels, Regina?"

"Miss Swan, please calm down. You're making this a big deal when it's not."

"No. I deserve the truth. What the hell is your reason this time for leaving?" Emma screamed, her lips lingering dangerously close to Regina's.

Regina took a step back, unable to handle Emma's closeness. She let out a loud laugh, further irritating Emma. Emma shoved her back against the door and pinned her against it with her forearm. "What the hell is so funny?"

"My reason for leaving this morning... well you see, there's this teenage boy. His name is Henry. He's our son. He has school and I needed to wake him up and make his lunch and get him on the bus."

Emma's jaw dropped and she let go of the hold she had on Regina. "Oh," was all she was able to say as she shook her head and let out a soft laugh. She muttered an apology but before she could finish getting the words out, Regina grabbed her hips and pushed her back onto the bed.

The feeling of Regina's soft lips against hers sent a familiar but always welcomed chill down her sides and she flipped them over and grinded her pelvis against Regina's, causing the black dress to bunch up over her thighs.

Regina let out a soft moan and Emma's heartbeat quickened. She ran her finger through Regina's dark locks and deepened the kiss.

Regina pushed Emma's flannel off her shoulders, leaving Emma in her jeans and white tank top, then moved both of her hands down to grip Emma's ass and rocked her hips harder against her own.

Emma broke their kiss and looked at the brunette under her. "I knew you were always checking me out in my jeans!" She winked and bit down on her bottom lip.

Regina's core pooled with heat at the sight of Emma biting her lip and the sound of her raspy voice, full of desire. "You caught me. But I do prefer them off of you."

Emma hopped up and unbuttoned the jeans and pushed them down, followed by her thong, stepping out of them slowly as Regina's dark eyes stayed glued to her curves. Emma slipped her tank top over her head in one swift motion and unclipped her black bra then grabbed Regina's hand to pull her off the bed.

Emma pushed Regina so her chest was pressed up against the wall.

"You know, your majesty... It's really not fair for me to be naked while you still have this dress on." Emma whispered in her ear as she slowly slid the dress zipper all the way down Regina's back until it fell to the floor.

A loud gasp escaped Emma's lips as soon as she saw Regina wasn't wearing a bra or underwear. Regina turned her head to peer over her shoulder and kinked her eyebrow but didn't say a word.

Emma stood back behind Regina, straddling the back of her thigh. She combed the hair off Regina's shoulders and brushed it to the left side, pulling it lightly so Regina would arch her neck. Emma leaned over and placed delicate kisses all over her exposed neck and shoulder. With each kiss, Regina shuddered in delight and Emma smiled at the sight of the brunette's shaking body.

"Emma - please. Do I need to beg?" Regina moaned, standing naked with her chest still pressed against the wall. She could feel Emma's heat and wetness against her thigh and felt her desire grow for the blonde.

"Oh, God. I would love to hear you beg."

"Miss Sw -" Regina started speaking but was cut off by the feeling of Emma's fingers slipping inside of her. Whatever she was planning on saying completely dissolved and all she could think about was how it felt to have Emma's fingers wiggling inside her increasing wetness from behind as the blonde's chest was pressed against her back to hold her in place.

Each moan that escaped the brunette's throat grew louder and louder and Emma's arousal deepened just knowing she was bringing the woman so much pleasure.

Emma leaned in and nibbled on Regina's earlobe then ran her tongue around the curve of her ear before whispering, "Your moans are the hottest sound I've ever heard."

This sent Regina over the edge as her body started shaking and she struggled to stay standing up. Emma picked her up and carried her to the bed then kissed her way down to Regina's clit. She circled it with her tongue as her fingers continued pumping in and out of the brunette who was coming undone from what she was doing to her.

"Mmm, Regina. You taste so good." Emma moaned before running her tongue over Regina's soaked folds and sucking on her clit. Regina's body arched off the bed and the walls around Emma's fingers tightened as the brunette let out a loud deep moan and clenched the blonde's hair into a fist as she came.

Emma kissed her pelvic bone and rubbed light circles over her sides as Regina's breathing slowed down.

Regina looked up at the blonde and smiled, flashing her white teeth. Emma couldn't help but grin as she saw the genuine gleam of happiness in Regina's eyes as their eyes stayed locked, neither one of them daring to look away.

Regina sat up and pulled Emma up next to her. She leaned over and placed a soft kiss on the blonde's lips.

"How are you feeling?" Emma whispered, stroking Regina's smooth back.

Regina smiled. "Better than I've ever felt. I don't know how you do that to me."

"I guess knowing if people are telling the truth isn't my only superpower," Emma said with a wink and Regina giggled, feeling like a young girl who was in love for the first time. Emma blushed at the sound of Regina's laughs.

Regina bit down on her lip then whispered to Emma, "now I need to hear you moan."

The heat racing to Emma's center was overwhelming and she moaned Regina's name the second Regina kissed her neck.

Regina rolled them over and climbed on top of Emma then spread her legs. She wiggled her hips until their clits were aligned and began to grind her hips.

She started off slow, and as the sounds that escaped from both of them grew louder, Regina picked up the pace and grinded more intensely against Emma's clit that continued to get wetter and wetter.

Regina leaned over and cupped Emma's breast before pinching her nipple and rolling it between her fingers. She pressed her hips further into Emma and the blonde's moans intensified as her breathing became shaky and Regina knew she was going to come.

The added pressure and the sound of Emma's moans caused Regina's orgasm to wash over her again. She grabbed the back of Emma's thigh and threw her head back as her body shook.

Regina's wetness dripped down inside Emma and Emma moaned again at the feeling of Regina's warm cum inside of her.

They grabbed ahold of each other with so much need and desire and suddenly the lights in the bedroom flickered. Both women didn't pay attention as their highs took over their bodies and and their orgasms washed over them, shutting the power out in the house completely.

Their breathing slowed and Regina collapsed onto the bed in the dark room and wrapped her arms around the blonde.

Emma let out a small laugh and Regina gave her a quizzing look. "What are you laughing at?"

"I made you come twice. **AND** I'm pretty positive we just caused the power to go out..." Emma smirked, kinking an eyebrow.

"Yes, it appears we did." Regina climbed out of bed and walked toward the window. She laughed and turned toward Emma. "Looks like we just caused a town-wide blackout."

Emma bursted out laughing and tilted her head to the side, "Did your magic do that?"

"No, Emma. _Our_ magic did that. Damn, I'm impressed!" She raised an eyebrow and nodded in approval and both girls laughed. Regina pulled Emma close once again. "Want to know a secret?"

Emma nodded. "Of course I do."

"I've never experienced that before."

"What? Magical blackouts or sex?" Emma asked, sitting up and looking at the brunette, tilting her head to one side.

"No. That feeling. You are the only one who makes me feel like sex is actually enjoyable."

Emma didn't say a word, encouraging Regina to continue.

"You're the only person I've slept with who takes the time to make sure I come. You truly care about my needs and it makes me feel so.. so content. It just feels right."

Emma leaned over and placed a kiss on her forehead. "You deserve to have both your body and mind worshipped. You're such an incredible person."

Regina rolled over and buried her head into the pillow, unsure what to say. Emma reached out and rubbed her exposed back. "Regina, what's wrong? Did I say something?"

Regina shook her head against the pillow then turned her head to look into Emma's eyes. Emma saw Regina's dark brown eyes were full of sadness and she reached out and combed her fingers through the brunette's hair to try and relax her.

"I'm not a good person, Emma. I've done some truly terrible things. I've killed. I've schemed. I cursed this entire town for God's sake. You say I deserve happiness, but I don't. There's a reason I never found my happy ending."

"I don't care about your past, Regina. All I care about is the person you are today and you might be ashamed of your past, but it made you who you are today. You're strong. Stronger than anyone I know. You're resilient. You're stubborn as fuck. You're perfect. You deserve happiness more than anyone."

Regina's lips curled into a small smile but Emma recognized the pain in her eyes so she kissed Regina's forehead and wrapped her in a tight embrace.

"And this is so incredibly selfish but part of me doesn't want you to get your memory back." Regina whispered and bowed her head against Emma's shoulder.

"Why would you not want me to have my memories?" Emma lifted Regina's head to stare into her eyes, genuinely confused but not offended by what Regina said. In fact, she was so relieved the woman was finally opening up to her and not just pushing her away after sex.

"Because I'm afraid. I'm afraid that what you're feeling for me isn't real and once your memories are back, you'll just forget about me and I just can't risk losing you. That's why I've been scared to open up and let you have all of me. But I can't hide behind these walls anymore. I can't help the way you make me feel. Nobody has ever made me feel so... Comfortable before. So safe and warm and happy."

"Regina, I promise you what I feel for you is real. I'm not going anywhere. I promised you your happy ending and you and I both know that what we have together could be it."

"You sound so sure. How can you feel this way about me when you know all the terrible things I've done?" Regina's voice cracked as her words crossed her lips.

"All I care about is the way I feel now. And knowing I make you happy. If you're happy, then I'm happy and I couldn't ask for anything more." Emma smiled again, flashing her cheekbones, when she saw the smile form on Regina's face.

Emma kissed away a stray tear that escaped Regina's dark eyes and the brunette looked up and locked dark brown eyes with Emma's green eyes.

"I love you, Emma Swan."

The words danced into Emma's ears and she was certain she'd never heard anything so perfect. Suddenly, her eyes squeezed shut as a memory flooded her brain and the images flashed in her mind like a movie.

"Regina! The accident. I remember it!"

Regina jolted up and wrapped the sheet around her chest and stared at Emma, waiting for the memory to fully come to her.

"Regina!"

"I'm listening. What happened?"

"I love you! I love you, Regina! I did before the accident!" Emma jumped up. She threw on her underwear and tank top and plopped herself back onto the bed.

"What do you mean? What happened?" Regina demanded.

"I was on patrol and the sheriff car was in the shop so I was in my Bug. It was raining that night, right?"

Regina nodded and let her continue.

"I was heading toward the town line and thinking about how unhappy I've been ever since Hook and I moved in together. He wasn't what I thought I wanted, he was just a distraction because I didn't think I could have what I wanted. Regina... It was always you. I wanted you! I didn't think you'd ever feel the same but I needed to tell you. I was driving around trying to figure out how I could approach you and tell you how I felt and I decided I needed to just show up here and be honest. So I turned around as fast as I could to go end things with Hook so I could be with you! But my car isn't too good in the rain and the tires skidded out and that's when I crashed. Regina, do you know what this means?!" Emma was shouting at this point, unable to contain her excitement.

"No, what does it mean?" Regina asked, still staring at Emma who was bouncing up and down on the edge of the bed.

"It's always been you! Since the moment I got to Storybrooke. From the second I laid eyes on you. I wanted you. I want to be your happy ending, Regina. Because you're mine!"

"I never thought I'd hear you say those words. I love you so much."

Emma crawled back over to Regina and whispered "I love you too, Regina Mills. You and Henry are my family and this is where I belong."

Regina grabbed the back of Emma's head and pulled her in, desperate to feel their lips touch again.

When they did, Emma squeezed her eyes shut as all her memories came flooding back.

When Regina broke the kiss, she noticed the look on Emma's face. "What is it?"

"I remember. I remember everything!"

"How do you feel?" Regina asked, terrified of her answer.

"Like I found my happy ending. I don't want to spend another day without you." She kissed Regina again and smiled and a sense of calmness washed over her.


	19. Chapter Nineteen - Regina, Wednesday 1pm

_A/N: Thanks for everyone's patience. I made this chapter extra long and full of happy SwanQueen scenes to make up for the longer wait than usual. I have one more chapter planned that will serve as the epilogue and I'll be posting that on Monday so stay tuned. As always, please leave reviews to let me know what you think because I love hearing your thoughts and feedback! I truly enjoyed writing this story and hope all of you enjoyed reading! I have a lot more SwanQueen stories in store so make sure you follow my profile and also find me on Tumblr for updates: **courtneywoods** :) Enjoy!_

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Regina dropped her pen onto her desk after signing the last piece of paperwork she had to get done today and let out a long breath of relief. She pushed out her chair and headed out of her office and toward the kitchen.

Regina stopped in her tracks as she took in the sight of Emma's backside and admired the way the blonde's skinny jeans hugged her hips as she swayed back and forth while washing the dishes. Emma was singing along to the music playing on her phone and dancing in place as she dried the dishes. Regina remained silent with her side leaned up against the door frame, her eyes glued to Emma.

After the song came to an end and Emma finished drying the last plate, Regina quickly snuck up behind the blonde and wrapped her arms around her waist.

"Oh god, you scared me! How long have you been standing here?" Emma asked, twisting to press the front of her body up against the brunette's.

"Long enough to know you're a _terrible_ singer... you do have some impressive dance moves though, I'll give you that." Regina laughed and Emma cut off her laughter with a kiss.

Emma pulled away. "Do you know how long I've wanted to be able to do this?"

"To do what?" Regina raised an eyebrow, her hands still resting on the blonde's waist.

"Kiss you whenever I'd like. Maybe even call you mine?" Emma whispered, her eyes glowing and cheekbones prominent as a grin appeared on her face. Staring into her eyes, Regina couldn't remember a time she felt this happy.

"Oh, so you think I'm all yours now, huh?" Regina challenged and Emma bit her cheek before nodding firmly and draping her arms over the other woman's shoulders and pulling her closer. Regina blushed and couldn't hide her happiness. "Who knew it could feel this good?"

"Mmm. What could?" Emma teased as she tucked her head into the crook of Regina's neck and inhaled her scent.

"Feeling wanted. Being yours. Loving someone this deeply and knowing you feel the same way." Regina stated, no longer afraid to say what was on her mind and be vulnerable with the blonde in her arms.

Emma smiled and immediately let her thoughts flow. "You deserve it. I promised you a happy ending and I'm really glad that happiness is with me and I finally get what I've wanted in return. I love you, Regina. I love your stubbornness. I love your strength. I love your confidence. I love your vulnerability. I love your independence. I love how big your heart is, even when you can't always see it. I love the way you take care of our son. I love the person you raised him to be. I love your determination. I love your heart, your body, your mind, your soul. I love that you're all mine now. I love that we can be a family."

Regina was certain the grin on her face would never go away and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't find the ability to form words that would do her feelings for Emma justice so she tilted her head and her lips made contact with Emma's. Emma picked the brunette up and laid her back on the island countertop before climbing on top of her and running her tongue over Regina's bottom lip, dying for entrance.

Regina parted her lips and her tongue explored the inside of Emma's mouth. She moved her hands down the sides of Emma's body and let one hand settle on her waist as the other traveled back up and entangled through Emma's soft, blonde locks, pulling her closer.

She felt a wave of warmth overwhelm her and her stomach tighten from the tingling sensation as Emma's hand traced the sliver of bare skin on her abdomen where her blouse bunched up. When Emma's fingers began to trail under her fabric and further up the side of her stomach, Regina's breath hitched and she felt Emma smile against their lips. Neither of them intended to break contact any time soon so Regina parted her legs and pulled Emma in so her upper thigh was rubbing against Regina's center, forcing her skirt all the way up.

Heat pooled inside Regina's panties and she wished Emma's jeans weren't in the way so she could feel her bare skin through her sheer stockings.

She waved her hand over Emma and let her magic come in handy. Emma broke their kiss and raised an eyebrow at Regina.

"Now that my memories are back, so is my magic. Two can play that game, your majesty." Emma mirrored Regina's actions and they both looked down and smiled at the sight of them pressed against each other in nothing but their underwear.

Regina couldn't hold back the loud moan that escaped her mouth as Emma's lips made contact with her neck and trailed down to her chest.

"God, I love the sound of your moans." Emma whispered, her breath warming Regina's exposed nipple just moments before Emma took it in her mouth.

Regina threw her head back and arched her back, eager to feel Emma inside her. Her entire body tingled and her arousal was evident.

As soon as Regina's eyes closed, Emma sat up and jumped off the counter. Regina groaned and lifted her head to lock eyes with the blonde, curiously tilting her head and giving her a pleading look. Regina began to sit up but Emma quickly stopped her by pressing her palm flat against her chest.

"Lay back down." Emma commanded, her authoritative tone sending a chill up and down Regina's skin. But instead of listening to what she was told, she hopped off the counter and walked up to Emma.

"I recall already tell you this, dear. I give the orders around here." Her voice oozed with authority and she smirked at the reaction she could tell it was having on the blonde.

Before Emma could respond, Regina lifted her up and threw her back on the counter top. She knelt down between her thighs and hooked her fingers under the sides of Emma's thong and slid them down slowly over her toned legs.

She took in the sight of Emma's arousal and decided there was nothing more attractive than this. The sight, the smell, thinking of the sweet taste, knowing she was causing Emma to react like this.

She grazed her fingertips up and down Emma's inner thigh and looked up to see the blonde's eyes flutter closed and her lips part. Regina leaned forward and replaced her fingertips with her mouth, trailing soft wet kisses and occasional bites on her thigh until she was so achingly close to Emma's center that it was beginning to torment Regina herself.

"Regina, I _really_ don't want to beg. But I will if I have to."

Regina smiled and continued teasing the blonde, determined now to make her quiver at her touch and hear her beg before giving in.

Regina stood up and moved to climb back over Emma before firmly pressing her lips on hers again. She kissed Emma's jawline then nibbled on her earlobe. "I want to hear you beg," she whispered.

Emma groaned and reached down between her legs to try and relieve the aching tension in her core on her own. Regina quickly moved her hand away and pinned Emma's wrists up above her head.

"Miss Swan, if you want me so badly, all you have to do is ask." Her voice was deep and raspy as her fingers rubbed Emma's leg again, starting at her ankle and tracing all the way up with a feather-light touch. She quickly grazed over Emma's clit and Emma moaned loudly and her hips buckled before Regina pulled away and moved to the other thigh. "Tell me what you want"

"Mmm. Regina, please."

"Please what, Emma? You'll have to be more specific, dear."

"God, you're so frustrating." Emma groaned then finally gave in. "Please touch me. Make love to me. I need you."

Regina smirked and also felt her heart flutter. She didn't hesitate for a single second before her mouth came in contact with Emma's clit. She gladly devoured every drop of arousal and slowly ran her fingers up and down Emma's soaked folds before slipping one finger inside the perfect woman coming undone in front of her.

Emma's moans were the sexiest thing Regina had ever heard and she still couldn't get over the fact that they were because of what she was doing to her body.

She let her own arousal fuel her desire to please Emma further. She sped up her rhythm and increased the pressure, moaning against Emma's soaked clit. She knew Emma was about to come when her body began to lift off the counter and her moans became louder and her breathing got heavier. Regina licked and sucked and circled her clit, refusing to stop until Emma was quivering.

As Emma came, she moaned Regina's name over and over and let her hands lace through Regina's hair. Once she was calming down from her high, she began combing through the brown hair and Regina leaned up to kiss her stomach all the way up to her lips.

Emma took little time to recover and quickly climbed off the counter and pushed Regina onto the kitchen table.

"Emma, we eat on this table. We are not doing this here."

"Oh shut up and let me have my way with you."

Regina swallowed, unable to come up with any response to that. Instead, all that could come out of her mouth was a loud moan as Emma's lips made contact with her neck at the same time as her fingers made contact with her clit.

"Mmm. My god, Emma. Yes." Regina yelled between moans.

It didn't take long before Regina's orgasm washed over her. And when Emma slowed down and interlaced her fingers with Regina's, Regina was certain that this is where she belonged and Emma was right about being her happy ending all along.

"So how should we tell him?" Regina asked with a smile as she buttoned the last button on her blouse.

"What do you mean?" Emma asked, wiggling her jeans back over her waist.

"Henry will be home from school any minute. We should tell him the news before we tell everyone else."

"Oh! I have an idea... Take off your shirt and let's go make out on the couch and let him walk in on us!" Emma yelled, yanking Regina's hand and guiding her toward the living room.

"Emma! He's our son and he's a teenager! We don't want to scar him for life!"

"Relax, I was joking!" Emma laughed and hopped down on the couch, pulling Regina down next to her and tucking her legs behind her so she could lean in toward the brunette.

"Okay, so how should we tell him?"

"Tell me what?" Henry asked as he closed the front door behind him and dropped his backpack.

"Henry, sweetie! You're home. How was school?" Regina jumped up and wrapped her son in a tight embrace.

"School was good like always. What's going on here though? What did you want to tell me?"

Regina looked back in Emma's direction who was still sitting on the couch. She shrugged in Regina's direction and then smiled, edging her to go on.

"Henry, we have some news. Well actually.. a couple different things to tell you. Don't worry, they're good things."

"Mom, you're rambling. Just tell me."

"Emma and I... Um we.."

"I got my memory back, kid." Emma chimed in from her spot on the couch.

Henry ran up and hugged her. "Mom, that's great! So you actually remember me now? And you have your magic? And you feel better?"

"I do. I remember everything and I feel much better. I can't remember the last time I've felt this good actually," she said with a smile in Regina's direction.

"So does this mean you're going to move out and go live with Hook again?" His gaze dropped and he began to twiddle his thumbs, hesitant to hear his mom's answer.

Regina swallowed and felt a pit in her stomach when she realized she and Emma never discussed if she was going to stay living with them or move out now that her memories were back.

"No, kid. I'm not going anywhere. My family is here." Emma said, squeezing Henry's shoulders.

Regina was certain that her heart grew in her chest right at that moment as she let out a sigh of relief. She was also certain that she could give Henry a run for his money on who was happier about the fact that Emma wanted to stay.

Henry was jumping up and down and before Regina knew it, he grabbed her hand and pulled her in for a group hug. She tousled his dark hair and smiled up at him.

"There's something else we have to tell you, Henry." Regina whispered. "I'm not sure how you'll feel about it though." Henry looked at her and waited for her to continue. "Emma and I are... together."

Henry pushed out of her embrace and his jaw dropped as he looked back and forth between his mothers. "Well it's about damn time, Moms!"

"You're not upset?" Emma asked, slipping her arm around Regina's waist and staring at her son.

"Of course I'm not upset! In fact, this is the best news I've ever heard. You know I've been rooting for you since day one. I told both of you that the chemistry was there and you both refused to listen to me. You're both so stubborn. My moms are finally together, YES! This is the best day ever! We need to celebrate! SwanQueen for the win!"

"SwanQueen?" Regina asked and raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. She's the swan and you're the queen. That's your ship name. And I've been on board since the moment I brought Emma to Storybrooke."

All three of them laughed and both women hugged their son, lifting their heads to make eye contact with each other and smile.

"My perfect family," Regina stated. "My happy ending."

"Well she is the savior after all, Mom. That's her job and now we all get our happy ending. But Mom, this isn't the ending. This is the happy beginning. Now it's our job to just enjoy the happiness and make the middle and ending great."

"When did you get so wise, kid?" Emma laughed.

"Well, I had two great moms to raise me! Hey, why don't we have dinner at Granny's tonight so we can break the news to everyone? I'm sure Grandma and Grandpa miss you and will be happy for both of you."

"I miss them, too. How about you go get changed and I will call them?"

"Just one more question. How did you get your memory back?" Henry asked as he made his way toward the stairs.

"Your mom told me she loved me and I remembered the accident. Then it all just kind of came flooding back after that." Emma smiled and Regina grinned and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, happy Emma didn't go into too much detail.

* * *

"Mom. Dad. Over here!" Emma called out, waving her arm in the air, as she saw her parents walk in.

"Emma? You just called us mom and dad!"

"My memory is back! And I owe you both an apology. I've been terrible to you. To everyone. I wasn't myself and I couldn't accept the fact that I suddenly had parents after all those years on my own and I pushed you away instead of giving you a chance to explain. But I know and remember now. And I love you both."

Snow let a tear fall as a huge grin broke out on her face. She and David both pulled Emma in for a hug and David kissed the top of his daughter's head.

"We love you, too, Emma." David said after they broke their hug.

Snow nodded, still smiling at her daughter, taking notice of the fact that she was glowing.

At that moment, Henry and Regina walked over to join the Charming family reunion. Snow hugged Regina and David hugged Henry. Then they all sat down at the table.

"So how has the sheriff station been, Dad? Busy without me?" Emma asked.

"It wasn't too bad, I had Ruby filling in part time to help me out. Aside from the town-wide black out this morning that took me hours to resolve, we haven't had too many problems. We still don't know what caused the blackout, but at least the power is back on now."

Emma and Regina locked eyes and Regina bit her lip to hold back her smirk. She winked instead when she was sure nobody was looking and Emma couldn't help but smile and also take note of how beautiful Regina was when she bit her lip.

"Well that's certainly good to hear. I can start working again as soon as you need me." Emma stated flatly, trying to stay focused and not be distracted by the brunette staring at her.

"So you haven't told us yet how you got your memories back. What triggered it?" Snow asked.

Regina gulped, her palms sweaty as she anticipated how Emma's parents would take the news. Henry noticed how his mom was reacting and he leaned into her and wrapped his arm around her.

"Well, it's a funny story actually. Well. Not that funny. Um I guess I'll just say it. There's really no point in beating around the bush. Actually, I got memory of the accident back first and then remembered everything else. But they tie together so I'll just spit it out."

"Emma, hunny. You're rambling." Snow laughed and rubbed Emma's arm.

Emma decided to be as direct as possible. "Well, Regina told me she loves me."

Every head at the table turned to look at Regina, who was shifting nervously in her seat at the booth. Some jaws even dropped and eyes went wide as Emma's news caught the attention of other patrons of the diner.

"Well it's about time..." Snow yelled in excitement, clapping her hand over her cheeks in excitement. She smiled at Regina who instantly let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding and smiled in return.

"Yeah, I couldn't agree more," said Henry. "In fact, that's exactly what I said when they told me at home." He laughed.

"Wait, you were on all board with this? Did the whole damn town know except for us?" Emma questioned, gesturing between Regina and herself.

"Yes, Emma. The entire town has been waiting for this." Ruby laughed as she walked past the table. "Sorry, I was eavesdropping. But I couldn't be happier. So are you guys together now?" Ruby grabbed an empty chair and pulled it up to their table, eager to hear the rest of the story.

The crowd laughed and smiled as more people from town who were at the diner started joining in, eager to hear that Emma's memories were back and that she and Regina were finally together. Even Leroy was happy and not his usually grumpy self. Nobody ever thought that day would come.

"So are you going to move into their house?" Belle chimed in.

"What ever happened to Hook?" Asked Granny.

Regina answered the first question and said Emma is officially moving in tomorrow.

Regina looked at Emma to let her answer Granny's question but the brunette was fidgeting, nervous to hear Emma's response.

Just as Emma was about to speak, Hook walked through the door and ran right up to the gang at the table.

"Swan. I heard your memories returned. That's great news! How are you feeling?" Hook asked with sincerity.

"I'm feeling much better. There's something I need to tell you, though." Emma was hesitant to have this conversation in front of everyone, but at this point she wanted everyone in town to know her true intentions and what happened that caused the accident.

"The night of my accident, I was on patrol and thinking about our relationship and what I want and how I imagine my future and I couldn't get something out of my head. I'm not sure how to say this nicely so I'm just gonna say it. Regina... Regina was on my mind and I couldn't get her out. She has been what I want for a long time and I just couldn't get myself to come to terms with it. I realized she was what I want and I was on my way to tell you this when my car skidded out and I crashed."

Hook nodded. "I think part of me always knew," he said, much calmer than anyone expected. Regina looked at his face, studying it for any signs of anger or hurt because she knew she'd be furious if she were in his shoes. She looked at Emma, waiting for her response, and noticed everyone was doing the same.

Emma simply nodded and dropped her gaze then pushed back her chair and told him they should go talk outside.

Regina stayed at the table, interacting with Snow, Henry, David, Ruby and the rest of the crew in an attempt to keep busy, but her mind kept wandering back to Emma and what she and Hook were talking about outside. She kept peering out the window to try and figure it out and hoped nobody noticed her staring.

She dropped her head into her lap and Henry grabbed her hand again. He leaned in and whispered to her, "Don't worry, Mom. We finally have our family. She loves you.. she will be right back. You don't have to be afraid."

Regina smiled at her son and rubbed the side of his hand with her thumb.

* * *

 ** _Later that night when they all got home:_**

Henry locked the front door behind him as the three of them made their way into the house after a long but wonderful day.

"Hey, Mom. We should go to Emma's house in the morning and get all of her stuff for her and then when she wakes up, we can all set up her room together."

Regina laughed and smiled at Henry. "I think that's a great idea, Henry. Except she won't be staying in the guest room. She's not a guest. She's family and she's moving into my room with me. And no, Emma, that wasn't a question." She winked at Emma and smiled.

Emma blushed, thinking of being able to spend every night with Regina, holding her in her arms and making her feel loved and safe. Regina noticed her reaction and wrapped her arm around her waist and pulled her closer. Henry just smiled and hugged them both.

When Henry went upstairs to get ready for bed, Emma told Regina what she knew the brunette was dying to ask.

"Hook and I ended on good terms. He wants me to be happy and I finally am. He's leaving town tomorrow. He said he doesn't know where he will end up but he's going to set sail on the Jolly Rodger and see where it takes him. I think part of him is happy to be back on his boat."

"Well I'm glad to hear he took it well. I know he's a pirate but I also know you cared for him, so I do wish him well and hope he finds his happiness," Regina said with a small grin.

"Just like we found ours." Emma said with radiance in her tone. Regina's stomach fluttered with joy and love and she pushed Emma onto the couch and kissed her.

"Wait," Emma froze and grabbed Regina's hand. "Let's take this to **_our_** bedroom."

"I love the sound of that." Regina stood and as she walked toward the stairs, she repeated the words, "our room."

Emma grabbed her waist and tickled her sides and Regina bursted out in laughter.

"Our room. Our home. Our family. Our happy ending." Emma added.

"No Miss Swan, remember what Henry said? This is just our beginning. The beginning of our happiness. Together."


	20. Epilogue - Five Years Later

_**Five Years Later**_

Regina used her back to push open the bedroom door as she carried a tray of food containing scrambled eggs, bacon, toast with jam, and fruit, as well as two hot chocolates with cinnamon.

"Oh, you're up?!" She said, surprised, as she saw the blonde brushing her damp hair in their en suite bathroom.

"Awe, you made me breakfast? You officially are the world's best wife. Do you know how happy you make me?" Emma squealed and ran over and grabbed the tray from Regina and placed it on the table before tackling the brunette onto the bed and engulfing her in a warm embrace.

Regina tickled Emma's sides then they both leaned in at the same time for a kiss.

"Of course I'm awake early, it's a big day. Henry is coming home to visit us from college. I'm so excited to see him, I couldn't sleep another minute!"

"Can you believe our little boy is almost finished with college? Where did the time go?" She laughed and kissed Emma again, unable to keep her hands off of her.

"It's scary how fast time flew by. Who would have thought that when he was ten years old and came to find me and bring me here to break your curse that I'd end up finding my family and marrying the Evil Queen?" Emma laughed.

"Hey!" Regina yelled and tackled Emma. "I'm not evil anymore, remember? Unless you want me to show you evil, Miss Swan?" She winked.

"Oh, you know I do, your majesty." Emma played along. "Especially when you call me Miss Swan. You know what that does to me." Emma said as she kinked an eyebrow.

"You just like being bossed around and when I take charge, don't you?" Regina said as she grabbed the blonde's wrists and playfully pinned her down, rolling them over so she was on top of Emma.

"You're the only person I take orders from. Also, I need to tell you right now that you smell really fucking incredible and it's making me want to kiss every inch of your body."

Regina blushed, looking down at the woman under her. "And let me tell you that you look beautiful as always. Now back to the part about me giving orders... eat your breakfast before it gets cold!" Regina smirked as she rolled over and grabbed the tray.

"Seriously?" She rolled her eyes and gritted her teeth. "You really suck, babe. You know that?" She groaned then grabbed a forkful of eggs off the plate and put it in her mouth. "Mmmm. These are delicious!" Emma moaned with every bite she took.

"Still think I suck?" Regina asked, eyebrows raised.

"Yes... but maybe a little less. We both know I'd rather be eating something else right now." Emma said in a husky voice and bit her lip.

Regina shifted in the bed and crossed her legs to hide her arousal, although she knew Emma could tell what effect she was having on her like always. Then she leaned in and whispered into Emma's ear, "And we both know I'd rather hear those moans escape your lips and know it's from being inside you and not just from my cooking."

Before they knew it, the food was quickly forgotten and Regina's moans were filling the room as Emma kept her promise and ate something other than the breakfast Regina made for her.

* * *

Once they were dressed for the day, they headed downstairs to clear the dishes, which ended up all over the bed once the food was quickly forgotten.

As usual, Regina washed and Emma dried. It became their usual dishwashing routine and just another thing they always did together.

The two women were telling jokes and talking about plans they had for when Henry was home later. Just as Emma was drying the last mug, she froze and her jaw dropped.

"What is it, Emma? What's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong. Just... do you believe in seeing the future?"

Regina didn't answer at first, she just kept her gaze on Emma who was smiling like crazy. Once Emma started laughing and covering her mouth, Regina finally answered. "I suppose it's not too crazy to believe in seeing the future considering where we are from and the fact that we both have magic. Why, what happened?"

Emma placed both hands on Regina's shoulders and stared at her, green eyes burning into Regina's dark brown orbs. "Remember when I woke up in the hospital after my accident and later I told you about a dream I had that we lived together and were a couple?"

Regina smiled and nodded. "Of course I do."

"Well it was this exact memory. This exact moment. This exact feeling you give me. Regina, this was it! I saw the future. I saw **our** future."

"God, I love you."

* * *

 _A/N: Thanks to everyone for reading, I hope you enjoyed! It was a blast writing this story. Follow my account or find me on Tumblr (username: courtneywoods) to stay up to date on my new stories that I'll begin posting shortly :)_


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